Recalled to Life
by Reya Wild
Summary: As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself. Bane/OC.
1. It Was the Age of Foolishness

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter One: It Was the Age of Foolishness**

* * *

Even as a child, she'd always been adaptable. She was able to shift and flow with the tides of life without a qualm. As a child, her adaptability came with a complacency that her parents enjoyed. She had been a quiet baby, rarely wailing her discomfort. There were whimpers and soft cries of discontent, but none that compared to the cries of her siblings. As the youngest, she was the one her family doted on the most. Her father adored her, calling her the jewel of his collection. Even then, she'd be her father's daughter. There were some envy amongst her siblings, but in the end, they were always a close knit family. Her mother encouraged her to enter all sorts of activities as she had done with her other children: ballet, sports, academics.

She was a happy child, naïve and innocent, but she was only afforded that state of mind for the first sixteen years of life. After that, things fell apart, her family fell apart. Her father wasn't the good man she thought he was, and her mother was just as guilty. It was deceit and bad deeds that caused the tears throughout their family, and she learned quickly that things would never be the same again.

So she shirked the chains of her family and its name. From the ashes of the girl, she became Riley Gray. She took pride in the name. It sounded brazen and independent, everything she wanted it to be. As Riley, she entered the life of living as anyone without support would. She was poor, trying to keep her head above water. She found poster and news alerts as her family tried to track her down, so she buried herself deeper. Gotham was where she ended up, and she slowly built herself up. She cut her long hair off into a short, choppy style, dying the bangs that framed her face blonde. Sardonically, she considered it an ode to the two people she was now, the girl she was before, and the girl she was now. Piercings and tattoos decorated her flesh, the most prominent was a beaded bar through her left eyebrow and ink that scored the inside of her bicep and crawled along her spine.

After awhile, her family thought her dead and gave up the search for her. It made life easier. She didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder in fear of being dragged back home. It wasn't until six months after the search was called off that she finally released a breath of ease.

In the four year span that she lived unearthed and free was one of the most exhilarating times in her life. She developed a taste for rebellion which served well to her ability to adapt. Riley Gray hated authority, bucked at it at every turn. She fell into a group that lived and breathed anarchy and resistance to the social norm. They took advantage of the skills she nurtured as a child, and one of her best talents, they learned, came with technology. It had always fascinated as a child, coming only second to her passion for dance. Practice and experience built up her repertoire until she was able to level up her hacking skills to impressive levels.

The group, a cell that was hardly a cell or even formidable, called itself Retribution. It was a name that Riley thought was ridiculous, but she went along with it because for now, they served as her family. They organized little acts of rebellion and criminal mischief to get their voices heard, and they supported themselves through Riley's ability to hack into ATMs and big corporations. They always made sure to only take money from those that had too much. It was the sort of life that she thrived on. The excitement and the purpose it gave her made her feel so alive. Retribution was hardly going to make big waves among Gotham with all its harder criminal activity, but it was something. Something was always better than nothing, a lesson she learned during her first year on her own.

Of course, being a young, still somewhat impressionable woman, the best thing about Retribution for Riley was a boy, a boy that was teetering that line between boy and man. Michael swept her off her feet upon their first meeting, and their relationship began as a whirlwind before it settled into something rich and comfortable. She'd never been in love before, and Riley was so sure she'd never feel this way again about anyone. While Retribution could offer her purpose and excitement, he gave her something the group as a whole couldn't. Michael loved her, nurtured her body and mind. It had felt like so long since she'd last been loved without something tainting it. Memories of her family still left a bitter taste in her mouth. He never knew who she was or where she came from. Riley Gray was more than enough for him.

In the sanctuary of their bedsheets, they made plans. Michael wanted to marry her, give her his name.

"Riley Watson," he told her with a grin, "sounds so much better anyway. Riley Gray is a porn star."

She slapped his shoulder with a laugh, but he silenced her indignant protests with a kiss. Michael took her into his arms, kissing her soundly. When they broke apart for air, that same grin was on his face. "Well, you fuck like one anyway."

Michael was going to be her path to something better. They were going to make a life for themselves, maybe even leave Retribution soon. Together, they amassed their own nest egg to take care of themselves comfortably. He'd slipped a ring on her finger, a simple circle of dull steel, with the promise of something shinier and brighter in the future, something that she deserved. It didn't matter to Riley either way. She belonged to him, just as he belonged to her.

All good things came to an end. It was another thing she was learning. It happened before, and it would happen again. The more seasoned and jaded members of Retribution wanted more. They wanted to make a bigger difference. They were tired of being hardly a blip on the radar. Gotham didn't take them seriously, and they wanted to make a big splash. They allied themselves with the new big name in town, the Joker. The rogue set Riley ill at ease, and she voiced her opinion that they were getting in over her head several times. Her warnings went unheeded, and Retribution went into the Joker's service, Michael included.

They all believed that this would changes things, that Gotham would wake up and see the discrepancy between the wealthy and its poor. The city needed to be shaken. Slowly, Retribution members fell at the mercy of both the Joker and the Batman. They were pawns in this game between them, and Riley was filled with fear, true and utter fear, for the first time since taking on that name. It was that apprehension and two pink lines on a stick made her urge Michael to quit Retribution with her now. She'd begged and pleaded, telling him that this was only going to end badly, but Michael had always been an honorable man.

"Just this last job, Ry," he promised her, trying to soothe the worry etched on her face. His hand reached out to rub her flat belly adoringly, already loving the life that was growing there. "We're doing something bigger than us here, and after it's done, after we wake up this sleepy little town, I'll make an honest woman out of you."

He didn't.

He couldn't.

When the dust settled, Michael was dead like the rest of the Retribution members. They were all dead as far as she knew. The war that raged between Batman and Joker engulfed all of them, and the only reason Riley made it out unscathed was due to her technical abilities. She ran interference, monitoring and assisting from their home base. Hacking into city cameras, she kept an eye on everything like some kind of helpless Big Sister, and she watched as Michael was caught in the hospital explosion. He'd been there visiting a Retribution member that had been injured during an earlier skirmish, and thanks to his compassion and heart, he'd lost his life. Things only went worse from there, burning hotter and hotter. It was the wake-up call Gotham needed, but Riley was apathetic. She was numb.

In the end, Harvey Dent was dead, killed at Batman's hand. The Joker was apprehended, but the damage was already done. There was nothing left to do for Riley to do except move forward. There was a life inside of her that needed nurturing, and she had no ties left to her now. With her ability, she cleared away the existence of Riley Gray. With a flurry of keystrokes and clicks of her mouse, she took on a new identity once more.

When the Dent Act passed, she was Riley Watson, the quiet and sweet coed at Gotham University. She'd gotten rid of most of her piercings and the color in her hair until she was as natural and normal looking as she could be. She didn't want any traces of Retribution in her. The tattoos she could do little about save for covering them up when possible.

She pressed forward with a silent and grim determination, mourning Michael openly only once. It was after her first doctor's visit to for her pregnancy, and she discovered with heartbroken clarity that she had a false positive. There was no life growing within her. She wasn't allowed to have a piece of Michael to keep her going. That day, she went home to her new apartment and wept. Everything that had been neatly placed and decorated were ripped apart and thrown with such ferocity during this tempest of emotions until she was finally worn out.

Riley drunk herself into a stupor that night. She wasn't pregnant, so there was no longer a fear that she was hurting her baby. She cried, lying flat out on her belly in her living room, with a bottle of vodka clutched in her hand. On a chain around her neck, she wore Michael's ring, and she resigned herself to the fact that it would be the only piece of him she would get to keep, that and his name.

This new stage of her life was something she entered with quiet pain and resignation. It wasn't chosen by her like her previous transition was, but it was something she had to do regardless. Eight years passed quietly. Gotham realigned itself. Creatures like the Joker and Batman faded until they were only a memory, and the Dent Act brought the city into a time of peace. College was something she did well, and she buried herself in her studies to keep her heartache at bay. The nest egg she and Michael built up help paid for her tuition, and she began real work at an internet café. It would have been so easy to just take the money as she had done before, but Riley wanted to differentiate herself from her life before.

She graduated with a degree in information technology, going on to work for the tech sector of Wayne Enterprises. The job Lucius Fox provided for her bored her out of her mind at times because she knew she was capable of so much more. Any time she craved excitement, she firmly reminded herself where that excitement led her, and she sated herself with the coding and work that was required of her.

In eight years, she grew comfortable and maybe a little happy. It wasn't true joy, so perhaps it was only a lazy contentment with her life. Riley made friends, even dated a little though it never amounted to much in the end. She was relatively normal as normal as a girl with her past could be. She was okay with this track in life because she never expected anything more.

Riley expected life to continue on in this quiet and lazy peace, maybe even expected to grow old and frail and lonely someday. There was no drive or fire in her. She'd set those things aside when Michael died. Living quietly was safe, and there was no safer city than Gothamn nowadays.

"I do away with such childish things," she murmured to herself at night, curled in her bed as she felt the tedium of her life stifle her.

And then, Gotham fell.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **This is my first foray into writing fanfiction in a long time as well as my first attempt at writing an original character into a fandom. I watched _The Dark Knight Rise_s fairly recently, and both Bane and Blake resounded with me. I'm a comics fan through and through, a fan of both Marvel and DCU. I'm hoping to incorporate some things from the comics into the story just to be fun little Easter Eggs for those who are familiar. I'm very conscious of how I'm writing Riley, and I've fleshed out a deep backstory for her that I plan to divulge as the story goes on. I'm hoping to keep her as far away from the Mary Sue trope as possible, giving her layers and dimensions to make her more relatable and believable.

For Riley, I've casted Summer Glau into the role for two reasons. I love the look of her, first and foremost, but I also think she fits the character I've created very well. During Riley's time with Retribution, I kept her appearance in _Alphas_ as Skyler Adams in mind. From here on, I simply imagine Summer Glau in all her naturalness. She has this seemingly innocent look as well as a cold hardened look about her at time that works well for Riley especially for what I have planned.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I'm working on the second as we speak. Please review with your thoughts and criticisms!


	2. It Was the Season of Darkness

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**WARNING: **This chapter contains attempted rape.

**Chapter Two: It Was the Season of Darkness**

* * *

_Several months prior to the fall of Gotham_

"Have a good night, Ms. Watson," Eddie, the evening security guard at Wayne Enterprises, called out.

Riley gave him a small smile and a little wave of her fingers as she stepped out of the building. She was tucking in one of her earbuds to tune into her MP3 player as she made her walk home. She only lived a few blocks from work, but she quickened her pace regardless. Night had already descended over the city of Gotham much her to chagrin. It'd been another late night for her.

Her superiors often told her that she went above and beyond what was required of her. She did work that wasn't due for days at a time, and she always brushed it off by modestly saying that she preferred staying on top of things. Work kept her mind busy even if it was mind-numbing at times. The work she had to do didn't challenge her, but Wayne Enterprises paid a comfortable salary. She didn't need to hijack ATMs or hack into prominent companies to Robin Hood their funds for her own gain anymore. She was doing decent, honest work, and at the very end of the day, it felt satisfying.

Outside of work, Riley had her share of social engagements to keep her busy. During college, she'd drowned herself in school work to get through her heartache and loss, but it was building up new friendships and connections, at times against her will, that was a healing salve for her soul. She did her best to keep up with those friendships even after they all graduated. Many stayed in Gotham. There was something about the town that seemed to trap people there.

It had been difficult at first to function as a normal person again. Spending her formative young adult years with an anarchy group had skewed her perception on society, and she had to learn to adapt herself to be one of the people again instead of someone who looked down upon them. Slowly, she came to enjoy her life despite its tedium. She would never stop missing Michael, but she had put him to rest. Revenge was never something she took to. It was self-destructive, burning through and through, and at the time when everything had fallen apart, she felt finished. She was so angry and hurt, but most of all she'd been lonely. Spending four years so entwined with someone meant that she had to relearn had to live on her own again. It was a difficult transition, but one she learned to manage nonetheless.

Even if she had been hell bent on revenge, there wasn't much to be had once the Dent Act passed. The more dangerous criminals were picked up and locked away in Blackgate. The only ones really out on the street now were the lowlifes that wanted to be a much bigger deal than they actually were. It meant having a state of vigilance walking through the streets of Gotham at night. She wasn't sure how long she'd been walking when a man behind her vied for her attention.

A quick observation of her surroundings told her that the streets were empty, save for her and her new friend.

"Hey, little girl, didn't your mother tell you not to play outside at night?" a rough, cajoling voice called to her. Riley stiffened, reminding herself that she should learn to be more conscious about time when it came to leaving work. Although she spent her time with Retribution, she never learned anything offensive aside from learning her way around a simple handgun. She had a tendency to shoot high, but it wasn't like she carried a piece on her on a regular basis.

She ignored him, deciding to keep on walking home, in the hopes that if she ignored him, he would get bored and let her be. Taking deep and even breaths to slowly her stuttering heartbeat, she shoved her hands in the pockets of her coat.

"Little girl, I'm talking to you," the voice said again, this time with a little bit of irritation at being ignored. Riley felt a stab of ire on her own. Despite being twenty eight years of age, she was always mistaken for someone much younger. Her features over the years had retained a childish fullness that made it difficult for her to be taken seriously as a woman at times.

Footsteps pounded heavily behind her as the man trailed after her, and she tried not to let herself give in to panic. Panic made people clumsy and useless. How many movies had she seen that she scoffed and snorted whenever the girl became a damsel instead of thinking the situation through?

The man made another comment about her, this time more vulgar and referred to her as a little girl once more.

Whipping around, Riley took in his features and glowered at him best as she could. There was a mixture of fear and anger on her face. It was a risky thing she was doing, engaging a possible attacker, but the news was always full of tips for women not to get mugged or worse, raped. She paid attention at times, often sardonically pointing out to her friends that it was always the women's job not to get raped instead of telling men not to rape at all.

One of the tips that stood in the forefront of her mind was to get a good look at them. Sometimes they were scared off at the possibility of being identified by their victim, making her more trouble than she was worth.

"You got a thing for little girls, you sick asshole?" she bit out acidly, cringing inwardly. It was hard for her to be intimidating when her voice was tight and shaky. She stared him down and studied his features, trying to find any discerning traits about him that she could remember later. This gambit might have guaranteed a rape, but at least she would have something to give the police later.

The man was wearing a hoodie with the top up, trying to obscure most of his features. From what she could figure, he was something of a thicker build, standing at about six feet tall. In the dim street lights, she could make out that his hoodie were the color of the Gotham Rogues teams with the logo emblazoned on the front. He faltered when she turned to address him, but he hauled himself up to stand at his full height.

"You're a feisty little bitch," he said appreciatively. Riley wasn't sure if he was just that determined to come after her or he put more confidence into his hoodie hiding his features. There was a gleam of silver in the light by his hands, and it made her take an unconscious step back. The situation was escalating, and she was beginning to get in over her head.

"You're about six feet tall, right? Maybe two hundred forty five pounds? Not all of it is muscle either," she began to babble, trying to keep a level headed. He was slowly beginning to advance even with all of her talking. He stepped a little more into the light, and she caught a quick flash at his face. "Tanned complexion. And a scar! A scar on your right cheek."

Her words didn't have the effect she wanted on him. Riley hoped that her ability to identify him would deter him from his attack, but it only elicited a laugh out of him. The laugh made her blood run cold as she began to back away even more. "I can identify you," she said bravely though it felt like her teeth were chattering.

"Little girl, you can't do shit if you're dead," he countered, and she could hear the smug grin in his tone. Panic overtook her, and she turned her back to make a run for it. Turning her back was the worst possible decision because she hadn't even made it a few steps before she felt thick fingers lace through her hair to yank her closer.

One moment, she was standing on her own accord, and the next, she was being tossed roughly into an alleyway. Riley landed in a graceless heap among the garbage and forgotten refuse. The pavement was unmerciful, and she let out a soft groan of pain from her landing. He was advancing towards her as she tried to gather her wits to make another attempt at escaping.

The moment she gave up on trying to get away was the moment she lost.

Dazedly, she began to scramble away, but his meaty hand wrapped around her ankle to tug her towards him until her body was flushed with his. He settled his weight on top of her, resting between her legs. The putrid air of his breath filled her senses, and she turned away to avoid. She felt his dry, roughened lips skim along the flesh beneath her ear.

"Smell so good," he groaned into her skin, unashamedly rubbing himself against her. Riley hated the way tears pricked at her eyes. Moving and shifting beneath him, she pressed a hand flat on his chest to shove him away, but he responded by pushing the blade against her throat until it bit at the delicate flesh.

"I'll scream," she threatened, looking up at him. She could see his face with ease now since he was so close, so she was able to see the way his lips curved into a smirk.

"I hope so," he answered. His other hand trailed down her body, groping her wherever he fancied, until he reached the hem of her shirt. His hand was chilly as it slid beneath the fabric to touch her more intimately. Riley could feel him harden against her, eliciting a whimper. "Yeah, little girl, we're only getting started."

His hand moved once more to toy with her pants, fumbling with the button and zipper. She could feel her agency beginning to slip through her fingertips, and desperation forced her to buck and struggle against him even as the knife coaxed a thin line of blood out of her. Kicking and flailing, she refused to make this easy for him. There was a wildness that burned through her, and she reacted like an animal that had been cornered.

"Fucking hell. Stay still, you stupid bitch or I swear I will slit you from ear to ear," he snarled against her as he tried to settle her hips into a state of stillness to finish undressing her. He added more pressure to the blade, and though it cut into her, it pressed more against her windpipe than anything else. Riley was conscious of the pain, but it didn't stop her brazen struggling.

"You can't fuck me if I'm dead," she grounded out, her voice throaty and sore. Her words sank deep into her mind, and it made her laugh. Hysteria was fully setting in, overriding her fear and panic. Her knee jerked, catching her assailant between his legs. He didn't like that very much, rolling off of her with a pained groan.

He rolled side to side next to her as he tried to regain composure. Riley laid there, trying to put the whole situation into a perspective that made sense. Her eyes were wide and wild, and she sat up. She stared at her freedom down the alley where the street was. It sank in that this was her chance to get out of there and run to the police. Sitting up and scrambling forward, she moved towards her the street desperately. Her bag and personal items were left forgotten in the alley. Her main priority right now was to save herself.

Again, she felt that hand around her leg. "I don't think so, cunt. It's going to be so worth it to put a dumb bitch like you down."

Riley practically groaned out her frustration, and she felt like this was never going to end. He dragged her back, turning her body over so that she was laying down and looking at him. She watched as he lifted his knife high in the air, bringing it down in a harsh arc to sink into her body.

Her eyes closed instinctively, and she raised her arms to defend herself best as she could. She mentally prepared herself for the inevitable pain although she was sure there wasn't enough preparation for being stabbed. Her breath was held tight in her chest, waiting for it.

Only it never came.

She heard a grunt of pain, and she was positive that it hadn't come from her. Opening her eyes, she saw the man curled up in the fetal position some distance away from her. Confusion colored her features as she tried to piece together how this came to be, but she didn't have to wait long.

A looming form stood before her. He was tall and quite frankly massive. Where her attacker was meaty and heavy from fat, this man was broad and hulking with a formidable musculature. Riley wasn't even sure if she could call him a man thanks to the contraption around his face. She was reminded of a spider or predatory teeth grinning down at her. There was a strange hissing in the air, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from him. The only other sound in the alley was her harsh pants as the air whistled in and out of her.

The new man-monster extended his hand out for her to take, and she stared at it dubiously, wondering if she had stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire. She'd barely managed to hold her own against the first guy, and by the looks of things, she would never be able to handle this one. She must have stared at his hand a little too long because he finally spoke.

"If I wanted to kill you, my dear, I would have already done so."

His voice was different. Odd. It was mechanical from what she assumed was his mask, but beneath it there was an accented lilt to the way he formed his words. She could hardly make out his facial expression, but she could hear the amusement coloring his tone. Hesitantly, she took his hand, and his massive paw wrapped around hers to haul her to her feet with surprising gentleness.

Riley continued to stare at him uncertainly, but he paid no mind. He simply moved closer to begin righting her messy clothing until she was neat and decent again. Moving to grab her things, he handed it to her which she took silently.

"A young woman such as yourself should be more mindful at this time of night," he chided her, pinning her with an intense stare. "There are many things to be frightened of in the dark, and it would do you well if chose to remain in the light where it is safe."

There were no words on her part. None that she could formulate anyway. The situation had become so surreal, and she was already beginning to wonder if this was really happening. She stood there stock-still, and he gave her a look as if wondering if she'd suddenly gone dumb. He pressed forward again, resting his hand at the small of her back to steer her back towards the streets. The impromptu touch had her jerking violently against him, the uninvited touch of the man groaning on the alley floor still fresh in her mind.

Her companion looked down at her with an unreadable expression, but said nothing until he pushed her gently into the streetlight.

"Now run along, little one. Keep to the lights and be mindful. You will not always be so fortunate," he warned her before turning away. Riley stared at him as he stepped back into the alleyway, seemingly blending into the shadow.

It wasn't until she heard the agonized screams from the man that attacked her that she scampered off to get as far away as possible. Renewed fear clutched her heart in a vice, and she didn't stop running until she was in the safe sanctuary of her apartment.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: And there's the second chapter. I was actually hesitant to keep going to be honest. As I said previously, this is my first attempt at an original character, and I received a less than stellar review about Riley that I found discouraging. I reminded myself that criticism is there for a reason, and I want toe explore where this story and Riley will go. I kept the criticism in mind as I continued to flesh her out in this chapter, so I hope she's more enjoyable and easier to swallow this time around. I've begun outlining the next chapter already, and I hope the story is to everyone's liking!

I'm very grateful to all those who favorited, followed and review this story. All of you are wonderful people, and I hope this update did not disappoint. Remember to review and leave me with your thoughts.


	3. We Had Everything Before Us

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Three: We Had Everything Before Us**

* * *

The warm sunlight on her face signaled a brand new day, but Riley was resistant to it. She had a fitful sleep, and it was hard for her to remember how she even managed to get into bed after the tumultuous night she just had. When she finally conceded, she laid stiff in bed, staring blankly up at her ceiling.

Had it all been a dream?

The soreness in her bones and joints hinted otherwise. The only exercise she embarked on were her occasional morning runs during the week, or those few times she took time out of her schedule to visit the local community center to take advantage of their dance studios. Where tech work tried to stimulate her mind, dancing fed her soul. She was never anything remarkable. Her form wasn't quite tight or in line, but it brought her joy. Dancing took her to another place where it was just her and the music and her movements.

No, the ache in body didn't come from any of her usual forms of exercise. Dragging herself out of her bed, she trudged to the bathroom to assess the damage with the hopes that looking into the mirror could shed further insight to what happened. Riley flicked on the switch and almost started at her reflection. The stress from the previous night's events combined with her fitful sleep left her a grotesque mess.

Her hair was arguably a nest around her head, and there were dark circles that drooped beneath her eyes. Her skin held a stark pallor that made her look sickly which contrasted sharply with the thin red scab that decorated her neck like some kind morbid choker. Riley reached up to touch the mark gingerly, the only true evidence of what happened the night before.

In the light of day, the whole thing sounded ridiculous to her. She'd almost been raped, and some strange hulking man in a mask had saved her. It hadn't even been Batman!

Her forehead leaned against the mirror as a wave of nausea overtook her. Closing her eyes, she tried to shove away the memories of the way the man had come very close to violating her. She could still feel the heavy warm weight of his body pressing her down into the pavement and the way his touch made her skin crawl. Releasing a slow breath, she tried to put herself back together. Whatever happened last night happened. Just like everything else, she was going to move forward, trying her best not to look back.

Riley didn't bother alerting the police. She was fine. There was no evidence for them to track down, and even with the description she could give the cops, she wasn't sure where that would lead to. Her cowardly run left some things a blur, but she was positive that she heard the man screaming while he was left to the monster-man's mercy. Was that a can of worms she really wanted to open?

Mechanically, she turned the tap on the sink and splashed her face with cold water. It brought a little color to her cheeks, and she felt a little more confident. It might actually have been mere bravado, but she tugged it around her like a security blanket. She needed to move forward. Her brush with death reminded her safe her life was now. Eight years ago, she lost the man she loved. She would've lost her life in the process had she not been behind a desk. Michael would've wanted her to keep living, and she was going to do just that, no matter how tedious and routine her life had become.

With that thought in mind, she resolved herself to put the incident behind her. It was a new day, and she was going to treat it as such. The slate was clean today, and she planned on being smart. Riley was going to clock out of work when she was supposed to. Any extra work she wanted to do could be done from her set-up at home.

She continued on with her day, getting ready for work. Her television was on with the morning news as they discussed the upcoming Harvey Dent Day. Bruce Wayne, his mansion really, was hosting this year's gala for it, and all the big-wigs in town were attending including the police force.

"The Manette, DeMontrond and Sheffield families are expected to make an appearance and offer a grand charitable donation to the Gotham Police Department," the cheery newscaster informed. "Although Bruce Wayne is hosting the event, he isn't expected to attend since he has not been seen at a public appearance nearly eight years to the day. We'll have coverage of the event as it occurs. Now, let's go to Tiffany for the weather."

* * *

The days melted into one another. Riley settled back into the comfortable security of her life. She worked, got off on a timely manner, and continued about like nothing happened. She went out with her friends every now and again to help keep busy when she wasn't focusing on her work. It was hard to ignore the news. For the first time in eight years, things were picking up in Gotham. First, the congressman had gone missing, and Commissioner Gordon had been shot.

It put the city on edge, but the police and mayor assured everyone that things were fine, and they had it all under control. There was a moment of calm before things went straight to hell.

She was at work when it happened. There was a television in the break room which alerted a few people on staff, and the news quickly spread like wildfire throughout her floor. Riley was knee deep in coding when she heard all the commotion. It was hard to ignore, no matter how much she wanted to get the program done, but finally she stood up to see what all the fuss was about. The break room was crowded, and she was forced to slip between the gaps of people in order to get a view of the screen.

It was breaking news. The stock exchange was being held hostage by a group of men, possibly terrorists. The reporter announced that it was uncertain what they wanted since they hadn't made any demands. Gotham police were on the scene, prepping SWAT to take initiative. They didn't get a chance because moments later, people were barreling out. It was all the hostages at first, and they quickly dispersed to allow the camera to catch a glimpse at the criminals.

Riley's breath hitched in her throat when she saw the monster-man come into focus. Faintly, she thought that he looked different than she remembered, but she chalked it up a blurry memory and the fact that he was standing so smugly in the light of day. She watched in horror as the scene unfolded, riveted to the screen. The whole city was holding its breath, and things only became even more exciting when Batman arrived on the scene.

It was nighttime by the time things settled down, but Gotham had been injected with a healthy dose of adrenaline from the day's events. It was the first time since her incident that she left work late, and she was regretful that she'd gotten so caught up in the news. It put her behind, and she needed to finish up her work by the day's deadline. It was hard not to be distracted. The city hadn't seen action like this since the Joker eight years prior.

Silently, she sat at her desk as she ruminated over everything that happened. The news kept going over the day's events, constantly reminding citizens that the police were looking for any and all tips regarding the masked man or Batman. She couldn't keep her head buried in the sand any longer. With a sense of determination, she packed up her things and bid Eddie goodbye for the night. Riley was smarter this time around. She had a cab drive her to the police station.

By the time she arrived, she was half afraid that it was too late to bother them with her story. She'd seen the man they were looking for in the flesh, and they were looking for any help that could assist them. Paying her cab fare, she made her way into the station, and she was somewhat surprised at the flurry that was going on. Everyone was moving around, talking, going through paperwork, and processing criminals. There wasn't a single static person in the building aside from the ones handcuffed to a chair.

Riley tentatively approached the front desk. It took a few polite coughs to get the woman's attention, and when she looked up at her, she looked irritated and haggard.

"Can I help you?" she demanded none too kindly. The treatment was almost enough to make Riley turn on her heel and walk out of there. Cops had never been a favorite of hers. She once saw them as flunkies to the man, enforcing rules that stifled society. Since Retribution's fall, she thought differently now. There were criminals that were too extreme, and it fell to the poor cops to take care of them.

"I have information," Riley said evenly. "Information about that man at the stock exchange today."

She was seen almost immediately. Since she held valuable information, Deputy Commissioner Foley interviewed her in one of the rooms himself. He offered her a bottle of water as he patiently sat in front of her, waiting for her to tell her story. Another officer, a young one with kind eyes, stood in the background.

"It was maybe a few days ago? A week," Riley began after taking a sip of her water. She wasn't parched, but it gave her something to do. It felt odd for her to sit there and regale them with her story. "I was walking home late from work one day. I work at Wayne Enterprises, you see, and I guess I wasn't paying attention. A man was harassing me, and he wouldn't knock it off. I got mouthy with him, so he attacked me."

She took a deep breath, trying to keep the memory at bay. She needed to tell them what happened, not get caught up in her own angst.

"He dragged me into an alleyway and forced himself on me. We struggled a little bit, and after I kneed him, I managed to try and get away. It pissed him off. He dragged me back to him, and he was going to stab me. Only he couldn't because someone pulled him off of me."

"Who did, Ms. Watson?" Foley asked her, eagerness in his eyes. He wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"I don't know his name, but it's the same man that was at the stock exchange today. He had the same mask and everything," she replied. The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush as if finally glad to be free from the dam she held them behind. Over the past few days, Riley had been wondering if she just imagined what he even looked like thanks to her hysteria. Seeing him on the news only vindicated her.

"Did he force himself upon you as well?"

She reared back at the question, looking visibly shocked. It was an awful thing the monster-man did today. So many lives were taken and injured thanks to him, but it never truly sank in that he meant to hurt her that night. He'd been nothing but gentle, and she was even willing to go as far as describe him as chivalrous.

"What?" she said, looking somewhat affronted. "No, of course not! He helped me up, made sure I was okay and sent me away."

Foley clenched his jaw. Her story hadn't gone the way he wanted it too, and she could see the displeasure in his gaze. "So you mean to tell me, you came down here to tell us what a hero this psycho is?" he demanded harshly.

The fury in his tone was like a slap to the face. Thinking back on her words, she realized what it sounded like. Riley hadn't meant to paint the man out as a hero, but in her story, he was. He saved her that night. It was hard to reconcile that man with the one she saw today.

"No," she said softly. "No, I just wanted to let you know that he's real, that I saw him."

For her, it was a very big deal that he was real after spending days questioning her sanity.

"The whole city saw him. Hell, I saw him in the flesh. I don't know how your story is supposed to help me," Foley retorted. He got to his feet, slamming the folder of information closed. His voice took on a sarcastic edge as he added, "Thank you for your help, Ms. Watson, but that will be all."

She watched as Foley stalked out of the room in a huff, disappointment filling her. Slowly, she got up to leave as well when the officer in the room stopped her. Riley looked up at him. She'd almost forgotten that he was there.

"Thank you for your help," he told her gently. She stared at him unsurely as she tried to find any sign of sarcasm in him. When she came up with nothing, she only nodded at him. He reached into his pocket and handed her his business card with the GPD logo stamped on it. "My name is Officer Blake. If you have any other information, you can reach me at this number."

Riley nodded again, shoved the card into her purse and left.

* * *

Outside, she bit out a curse as she realized how late it had gotten. Cabs weren't running too frequently on this side of town, and she had to resort to walking until she could hail one down. Walking around at night left her a little jittery, and she stayed on the main streets underneath all the lights.

She walked in relative peace for a few blocks, and she found some comfort at the yellow light the street lamps offered her. Riley didn't stray too far from them, making sure she stayed away from the shadows or alleyways.

Just when she thought she could relax a little, a voice called out to her. She stiffened, remembering the last time this happened and how it all went down.

"I believe I told you to be mindful, little one."

It was that voice again, mechanical and lilting. She faltered for just a moment, an awkward hitch in her step, before she continued on. What were the chances? Riley told herself that she was under a lot of stress, and her mind was playing tricks on her. Between all the work she had to catch up on and all the drama from the day, she was tired and needed to get home and relax. She hadn't eaten since lunchtime. Her blood sugar was low. All of these factors were genuine excuses for her to ignore the voice and keep walking.

"Ignorance will not serve you well especially in times such as these," he continued easily, not at all deterred by her reaction. "I must say it took me a moment to place you when I saw you leave the department of our city's finest during my watch, but then I remembered."

Riley's step quickened, but even as she tried to escape his voice, she felt his presence looming closer. It troubled her that she couldn't hear his movements or footsteps. She couldn't hear anything except his voice, but she could certainly feel him getting closer. Suddenly, a large, warm hand lightly wrapped around her wrist to pull her into the shadows of the sidewalk, away from the light. She was forced to look up at him, and she was taken aback by his mask all over again. It was such a startling item on his person, and if it was meant to strike fear into the hearts of people, it was doing a damn good job.

"You're the little rabbit from the alleyway," he commented as he studied her features. It was like he was confirming his initial assessment. Mutely, she stared at him, wondering where this would leave her. His grip on her wasn't tight, but it was firm. It was an obvious sign that he didn't want her going anywhere not until he was finished with her. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and in the darkness, she couldn't make out what color they were. "Didn't I tell you to keep to the light?"

It took her a few beats to realize he was teasing her. It was a sick way to tease a girl in her opinion, but it gave her hope that this situation was salvageable.

"Look, they thought I was wasting their time," she told him as self-preservation kicked in. "I told them what happened that night, and they thought I was idolizing you for saving me."

There was a deep, rumbling noise that she belatedly realized was laughter.

"And do you?"

Riley gave him a bewildered look, brows knitted together in her confusion. "Do I what?"

"Do you see me as your savior, rabbit?"

Deep down, she bristled at the nickname, remembering that she had bigger things to worry about than what a criminal called her. Silence met his question because she wasn't sure. She hadn't thought about, truly thought about that night until now.

"You saved me that night," she stated, rehashing a fact that both of them were well-aware of. He gave a short nod in answer. "You didn't have to, but you did."

"Perhaps I have a penchant for tiny, helpless animals," he rumbled amusedly down at her. She knew better. She knew that a man as large and deadly as he was probably stomped on woodland creatures in his free time. This time, she visibly bristled at his blatant declaration that she was helpless. It was one thing to know it herself, but it was another to hear it so freely from someone else, someone that could hurt her very badly.

"And those people at the stock exchange today? What of them?" she snapped at him, feeling her fury rise in her. She didn't like being toyed with, and he was doing exactly that.

The monster-man snorted.

"They were merely pawns in the game, the first turn of the gears in a war machine," he informed her grandiosely. "They served their purpose, and now it's time for me to move on from them."

"And what's my purpose?" she demanded. Riley was beginning to realize that this man was completely mad, possibly on par with the Joker. He merely looked down at her with the same amused expression.

"You, little rabbit, are entertainment. I hadn't counted on such an interesting quarry to appear during my machinations, but I cannot say I am ungrateful," he explained thoughtfully. "Perhaps when I bring about a new age, I can spare the time to create for you a Skinner box to see how you adapt. Your heart flutters so erratically beneath your breast, yet you stare at me with such wrath. A delicious contradiction."

She had no idea what he was going on about, but he read her perfectly. Riley was conscious of the way her heart thumped against her ribcage, but she also found herself growing annoyed with the cat and mouse game he was playing with her.

"No," she said suddenly, answering his question from earlier. "I don't idolize you or see you as my savior. You're just as dangerous as the rest of them, but you just like playing with your food."

Headlights from afar began to creep closer down the street. Her captor let out another rumbling laugh before releasing his grip on her wrist.

"Then you are a very smart rabbit indeed. Run along then, rabbit, run back to your hiding hole and pray that you survive this town's reckoning."

The car came in closer, and she could tell as it grew near that it was a cab. She'd only taken her eyes off of him for a second, but when she turned back to answer him, he was already gone. Riley rubbed her wrist where he held her before hailing down the cab.

She didn't notice the way a pair of stormy gray eyes watched her from the shadows.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The meeting with Bane was unintended. I planned for him to meet Riley again after Gotham fell, but I realized that laying the groundwork between them would strengthen things as the story went on. Writing Bane and his voice is incredibly hard, and I often find myself on some kind tight-rope when writing these scenes with him. I hope I conveyed him well as well as the development between Riley and him. I've only seen _The Dark Knight Rises _once, so I'm relying on my memory as well as Wikipedia to timeline and write the events correctly. The next chapter should feature the Rogues game as well as Gotham's fall.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed this story. Your support and kind words mean a lot to me, and it fuels me to continue writing since I enjoy pleasing all of you. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback on this chapter, so don't forget to review!


	4. It Was the Epoch of Incredulity

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Four: It Was the Epoch of Incredulity**

* * *

_Interlude_

Growing up, Riley's mother had always tried instill religion into her children. Of course, Riley hadn't been Riley then. In all her innocence and naivety, she was the youngest and most impressionable of her family. Like her siblings before her, she was enrolled in Saint Teresa's, a private Catholic school that taught children how to be proper and respectable in society.

While some might argue that religion had been spoon-fed to her since she was a child, she always had a fascination for the stories and prayers. Her siblings found mass to be boring, often trying to sneak naps during the early service, but Riley always sat raptly in her seat. There was something almost mystical and otherworldly about the stories read from the Bible, teaching lessons to its parishioners. Most of all, she enjoyed the prayers. As a child, she never understood the full weight of what the prayers entailed, but she adored the way they slipped off her tongue, curling into the air like the sensual smoke from the Caterpillar's lips.

When Michael died and her pregnancy was unfounded, she'd laid prone upon her apartment floor with no hope and no reason. At that point in her life, she'd long lost her interest or beliefs in religion. Between her father's sins and her mother's hypocrisy, she ended up cynical and jaded. The only fervent belief she ever had was in the future she and Michael planned for themselves, but with that torn away from her, she was at a loss.

Closing her swollen, damps eyes, she breathed into the air the only thing that came to her mind and centered her during her emotional tempest, "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. . ."

Riley no longer believed in the Lord in Heaven or that the righteous believers would be saved. She'd gotten a glimpse at how awful human nature could be. Still, the familiarity of the words brought to her a sense of peace as if joining her across time from her childhood. The security and contentment she felt then reached across, cocooning her in her hour of need.

"Holy Mary, mother of God," she whispered into the darkness, telling the shadows all her unspoken secrets and pain. "Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death."

* * *

The only news that could eclipse the stock exchange fiasco was the news of Bruce Wayne's bankruptcy. Even in the face of terror, people still concerned themselves with the lives of others. For Riley and the other employees of Wayne Enterprises, their concerns were focused solely on whether or not they still had a job.

The future of Wayne Enterprises was unknown, and everyone in the office sat and did their work in quiet apprehension. On the lower levels of the tall building was Riley's floor where all the technicians worked. Their job ranged from programming and coding to assisting employees on other floors when they suffered problems with their computers. She much preferred the former, having little patience with fixing people's computers. Usually, her first exasperated question solved everything.

"_Have you tried turning it off and on?"_

It was something of a joke amongst her floor. They were all incredibly bright when it came to technology, and while she was talented with it already, there were many coworkers she learned from that helped her improved her craft. From each other, they learned little tricks and tips to help quicken and facilitate their work, sometimes even helping out with the projects they had on the side.

It was rumored that Bruce Wayne, who had begun to slowly come out of his hermitage, was in the building to discuss what the company's future was. It was a complete spectacle when he left from what she heard. It had been hard enough even entering the building upon arriving to work thanks to the media circus that was clamoring outside.

She learned later in the afternoon that control over the company had shifted to one of the board members, Miranda Tate. Riley had met the woman in passing a few times during the annual lavish work gathering. The board members all made their respective appearance to thank the company for all their hard work, but she could see in many of them that they could care less what their underlings did as long as it kept them on a cushy seat of cash.

She had no solid opinion on Ms. Tate aside from finding her to be so delicately beautiful. The woman was posh with plenty of charisma, and from all the charity events she hosted, she was also kind hearted to boot. Riley almost couldn't believe she was real, but it gave her some hope that there was at least one good person in the world.

It was a relief to know that she still had a job. Working for Wayne Enterprises gave her something to do, kept her busy. While she could easily hoist the money out of the accounts of the board members, she enjoyed doing what she did even if it didn't challenge her.

If boredom went hand in hand with normalcy then she would accept it. She'd had more than enough excitement in her life recently.

At least, that was what she tried to tell herself at night when her mind wandered to her encounters with the monster-man, fruitlessly shoving down the way her pulse quickened from fear and exhilaration. Her brush with danger and the devil himself, as terrifying as it had been, had an unfortunate consequence.

For the first time in eight years, it made her feel alive. No longer was she was a specter inhabiting the solid, fleshy form of a woman in a mockery of living. It was as if her body had fallen into a state of slumber, and feeling was finally coming back into her limbs. It was tingly and almost painful, but it was something.

It was a dangerous path to tread; she bowed her head lower and swallowed it down. The monster-man, whom the news called _Bane, _quite possibly the bane of her existence in those moments, promised a reckoning, and she had a feeling that he was the sort of man who kept his promises.

Gotham was afforded a few more days of peace, long enough to lull them into a false sense of security. The Gotham Rogues were playing a big game against the Rapid City Monuments that had the whole city abuzz with excitement. There were two things that could bring people together like no other, the competition of sport or the tragedy of war.

Riley had become something of a football fan during her days at school, and she didn't pass up the chance when a group of friends invited her out to join them for the game. There was a moment where she hesitated. Something felt different in the air, and it made her shiver deep down in her soul. The moment passed as soon as it came, and she scolded herself for being silly. No matter what was coming, she couldn't spend her life tucked beneath her covers afraid.

They spent the late morning tailgating outside of the stadium. Everyone was just so happy in their celebrations. She wore a Gotham Rogues jersey with Ward's name and number emblazoned on the back, and she indulged in a few beers. Riley didn't usually drink so early, but she considered it a special occasion. Eating food off the grill and having a beer was practically tradition for a football game, and she felt the needed to enjoy herself as much as possible.

As kick-off rolled around, they packed up and made their way inside the stadium for their seats. Everyone was feeling a punchy buzz, full and happy from the tailgating. Even Riley was a little more outgoing than usual as she giggled her way down the stairs to reach their seats. Her friend Charlotte had a little more to drink, toeing the line between buzzed and drunk, so Riley held her hand to steady her. Charlotte kept going on about a guy she met, eliciting soft laughter from her friend.

Everyone settled in to watch the pre-game ceremony begin, and the whole stadium stood at attention as the National Anthem was played. She had to keep an arm wrapped around Charlotte's waist to keep her from falling over. The scent of beer and frozen margaritas was rich on her friend's breath, but she was so giggly and happy that it was hard to feel too irritated.

The game was on with the Monuments kicking the ball to the Rogues. Everyone cheered as Ward caught it almost effortlessly and began running down the field, bobbing and weaving the defense to score an impressive touchdown. Their roars were boisterous and fueled with their excitement, but as the field began to ripple and break apart, taking down quite a few players with it, their cheers shifted into horrified screams and gasps.

Next to her, Charlotte let out a screech of terror, immediately clinging on to Riley. Wrapping an arm around her to comfort the both of them, they looked around in confusion and fear. The first thought on everyone's mind was an earthquake. The crowd in the stands shifted uneasily, checking around to see if any more damage had been done. Her group of friends pressed together with the men flanking them protectively. They thought they would have more protection in numbers, but when a group of people strode towards the unbroken side of the field, she knew that there wasn't enough protection in the world for them right now.

Bane began speaking to them, addressing the citizens of Gotham that had the unfortunate fate of attending the game. Riley watched, clutching a trembling Charlotte to her, as he explained to them what was going on. She knew in her heart that this was the reckoning he had promised her, and the storm had finally come. He explained with something akin to glee what was going on. There was a nuclear bomb that only one person in the city had a trigger to, and anyone that didn't play by the rules he set down would force the city to suffer the consequences.

The moment he told them all to go home and think upon their true natures sent a ripple effect among the crowd. Everyone just had their world shaken, and seeing so many deaths before them set off their fight or flight instinct. Mob mentality and survival of the fittest began to taint their consciousness. In the sea of people, Riley and her friends did their best to stay together. They were all being shoved and pressed against on by other panicked bodies that were trying to flee.

The experience had sobered Charlotte up rather quickly and while her mind was alert, her limbs and movements were still sluggish and clumsy with the alcohol flowing through her bloodstream.

"It's going to be okay," Joshua, another one of her friends from college assured them as they tried to keep together. He winced as the crowd jostled around them, rearing into them painfully. "Just keep moving. We're going to be okay."

His reassurances sounded pale to all of them, but they clung to the hope anyway. His advice to stay upright and mobile was sound because Riley had to watch in horror as those that tripped and fell were mercilessly trampled on while people fought for their own safety.

"Riley, Riley," Charlotte babbled next to her, holding on tightly. "What are we going to do? There's a _bomb. _A fucking nuclear bomb. If it goes off, we're all fucked. There won't be nothing left."

Riley remembered with sudden clarity that Charlotte had graduated with a degree and honors in physics. She had attained a job at the university as a scientist, using her knowledge to expand and practice applied physics. It was almost funny how random and useless bits of information got shoved to the forefront of one's mind during a time of panic and fear.

"We'll figure it out," she murmured. There was no confidence or hope in her tone because the whole situation seemed pretty damn hopeless. Even with her dilated pupils, Charlotte looked at her with such sadness and fear, and later, Riley would look back at that moment and wonder if she knew that she was going to die soon.

She wasn't sure what happened. Maybe the alcohol had caused Charlotte to go lax, unintentionally relaxing her grip on Riley. Or perhaps it had been Riley's fault, and she hadn't been vigilant enough. Whatever the reason, the rushing current of the crowd ripped Charlotte from her arms and shoved Riley forward until they were separated.

"Charlotte!" she screamed. Against the throng of people, she could see her friend struggling to balance herself on unsteady feet. The crowd continued to press forward, and Riley, separated now from not only Charlotte but from the rest of her friends, shoved backwards to get to her. It was like trying to swim against the current, and the harder she fought, the more they pushed her away. The last thing she saw was a riot of blonde curls swirling through the air in an arc until it was buried beneath the swarm of bodies.

Crying out, Riley could have sworn she heard a woman's painful keen above the cacophony of terror, but it faded into nothingness as she was pushed out of the stadium.

* * *

Things only became worse from there. Not only did Bane strike fear in the very souls of all Gotham's citizens, he went on and released all the criminals in Blackgate Prison to add to the fire. Once Riley was outside of the stadium, she tried searching for her friends around the area in the hopes that they were okay and alive. Each frightened face she encountered was not one she was searching for, and she knew that her time was running out. She could sense that things were going to become very dangerous for everyone very fast.

Steeling herself, she buried the violent panic that threatened to make her useless. She had a head start on the Blackgate prisoners. By the time Bane had freed them and read Commissioner Gordon's confession to the public, she was in her apartment gathering everything that was important and necessary.

The duffel bag she started this new life with was quickly filled with clothes, non-perishable food and bottles of water that she had on hand, and some of her tech items, including her laptop. With the town going under like this, rioting would begin. Without law and order, society was going to descend into bloodthirsty madness, and she wouldn't be safe in her apartment anymore.

There was only one place she could go.

The journey to the underground bunker that once served as the home base for Retribution was quite possibly the most terrifying run of her life, outscoring her run home from her attempted rape by miles. Riley had to dodge and move along with pockets of people, keeping to groups. There were many criminals on the loose, murders and rapists and psychos, looking to unleash all their pent up violence on people.

From her apartment, the bunker was on the other side of town. She stuck with people until she was able to get to her car parked down the sidewalk, unlocking it with shaky fingers. Riley reminded herself that being in a heavy vehicle gave her an advantage, and she was trying to prepare herself for the possibility of having to mow down Blackgate prisoners that attempted to attack her.

Driving had its pros and cons. With her doors locked, she was relatively safer than being outside and exposed, but it was harder to maneuver the streets. More than one bomb had been set up around town which ruined many roads. Roads that weren't ruined had wrecked or abandoned cars blocking her way. Three-quarters of the way, she had to abandon her faithful little Honda to get by on foot.

Riley felt naked without the steel and fiberglass surrounding her. Her heart was beating a desperate, staccato rhythm in her chest. She allowed herself one deep breath before she darted the last bit. Running brought attention to her, but she was counting on people being too absorbed in their own horrors to focus on her.

True to Bane's nickname, she scampered and trotted away like a frightened rabbit. The bunker was beneath an old warehouse near the outskirts of town. To get to it, she had to enter the building and access a hidden panel in the far right corner. She remembered Michael explaining to her that the warehouse had been built sometime during the fifties, and the owner had been paranoid enough to build a bunker underneath to protect himself against the Soviets. Riley wasn't sure how well the decrepit underground lair would protect her from the nuclear bomb ticking somewhere in the city, but it provided her with shelter that no one would think to look.

Anyone who remembered this place aside from her was dead.

The bunker was as she remembered. Everything remained in its spot, dusty and untouched. Riley hadn't taken anything unnecessary with her when she moved on from this life, and it was proving to be a smart decision. She had her one laptop, but her desk had its old set up with all the bells and whistle. The bunker wasn't small, but it wasn't large by any means. It was a place of meeting, working and planning. There were two cots off in the corner for when members needed downtime, and there was an attached room with a toilet and a sink.

Approaching her old workspace, she tentatively reached out and pressed the button that would boot up her system. It had been eight years. Would everything still be in working condition? Long ago, one of the Retribution members had jimmied and joined the warehouse and its bunker to the electric grid, leaching off the energy for free. A soft technological hum filled the air as her machines slowly came back to life.

Riley breathed a sigh of relief. Step one was done.

Pulling back her chair, she sat in her seat. Finally, she allowed everything she'd been bottling up wash over her. She thought back to her near rape and her encounter with Bane. She thought about losing Charlotte to the crowd, the spring of her curls flying through the air haunting her. Burying her face in her hands, she wept. Her shoulders shuddered violently from all the emotions, and she couldn't remember the last time she felt this wrecked.

That was a lie.

She knew exactly the last time she felt this defeated. It had been after she walked away from this place and created a new life for herself. It was fitting that she once more lost it all right back where she started.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since she began crying, but by the time her tears ran dry, she realized her screen was urging her to enter her password to access everything. Hiccupping and breathing heavily, she typed it in with slow keystrokes. The black and green screen accepted it and begun moving on to the next stage. As soon as everything was set up, she felt more grounded.

It was time for step two.

Riley needed to figure out the situation that was going on topside. She needed to assess the damage and what was being done to help the city. This was something that would reach the national level, and she had hopes that military forces would step in and help them. Step two meant accessing city cameras to give her eyes. With multiple screens at her mercy, she began doing the stimulating work that she'd given up so many years ago. Years of mediocrity and dullness built cobwebs in her mind and fingers, and it took her several attempts before she got the ball rolling. Four years with Retribution had sharpened her mind strategically, and she'd always been something of a good planner. Right now, she needed to see the bigger picture.

One screen turned on, tuned to the news. At the local level, there was nothing. With the onslaught of Blackgate upon the city, she didn't expect anyone to be doing anything except protecting themselves National news was only beginning to break into the story, but it wasn't enough information.

Due to her strict, rigorous focus at the task at hand, she hadn't realized that she'd been whispering a prayer to herself until her hearing caught strains of her oaths above the sound of the news playing.

". . .And all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls."

Maybe the stress was chipping away at her sanity, but Riley couldn't help but smile a little to herself. Even though she counted herself as one of the faithless, she found a spark of hope in her that her mind had subconsciously picked that particular prayer.

It was, after all, the prayer to Saint Michael, the archangel.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Whew. That was a lot of transitioning! I had to move things into play and get to the fall of Gotham quickly, so we can all get to the fun part. I apologize for the lack of Bane in this. Like the previous chapter, I wanted to include him again, but aside from his actual scenes in the movie, I couldn't find a reason for him to meet with Riley again. Since I've only seen the movie once, I glossed over his dialogue in those scenes, choosing instead to focus on Riley and what was going on with her. I apologize for any errors. I write these chapters in a flurry, and I don't have anyone to beta it for me. I try to do a read over before publishing, but I always end up missing things.

What I have planned for the next chapter is a little more abstract. I originally intended to make this chapter a lot longer by including more towards the end, but writing the last line felt like a fitting conclusion. I'm so thrilled at all the reviews I've received from you guys. The positive feedback regarding Riley as well as my portrayal of Bane have been such a confidence booster, and it truly sends me over the moon to read your kind words. I'm going to try and reply to all the reviews now to give each of you my personal thanks. Thank you again to all who favorited, followed and reviewed, and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of this chapter.

I'll do my best to bring Bane back in next time.


	5. It Was the Winter of Despair

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**WARNING**: This chapter contains semi-graphic rape.

**Chapter Five: It Was the Winter of Despair**

* * *

The flame of hope that rested in her chest didn't last very long.

She watched, helpless, from her protective nest in the bunker as Gotham fell to pieces. True, she'd been a part of an anarchist group, but this was never what she had in mind. Their goal was to better society by ridding themselves of the confines of authority, not this bloodthirsty, merciless rampage. Seeing what the Joker had done to the town and to her friends had given her a taste, but it was nothing compared to what was going on now.

The death toll was high at first. Blackgate prisoners threw around their newfound power and status as the food chain reoriented itself. They, along with Bane and his group, were on top with everyone else beneath them. At first, people were killed regardless of their previous status in life. The massacre was blind and uncaring, and many of the things she had the misfortune to witness through the cameras during her watches left her shivering in her seat.

It was frightening how creative people could be when it came to rape and murder.

After the first few initial days, the world seemed to right itself, but not like it had been before. Gotham was a horrible parody of what it was even in the days before the Dent Act. People began being targeted, particularly those of wealthy status.

Riley learned over time that there was a place somewhere in the city where they brought those that had money, power or high social status to be sentenced. One by one, they stood before a crowd of people and their fate was decided, whether they would be killed immediately or given a chance for exile. The exile option was a farce. It just depended on whether one would die by a bullet to the brain or in icy cold water.

A number of important people from the city had already died from what she gathered. Wealthy families like the Manettes and Sheffields as well as rich businessmen were hunted down like animals to be brought before the court. Most of the Demontrond family had been outside of Gotham when everything went down though that fact was debatable. Whether it was true or not, it put her at ease that at least some people were escaping this hell.

At first, Riley hadn't been able to function. It was like a horror movie come to life, and she spent a week in the bunker alone with her thoughts and tech. She had all her screens playing at all hours with footage of national news as well as eyes on the various parts of town. It made her sick to watch, but she couldn't tear herself away from it.

After the week was up, she was out of food and water. She'd force herself to ration it because she was afraid of going out. The world was a dangerous place now, and she knew that she was going to become a victim the moment she stepped foot outside of her four protective walls.

By week's end, she was heartsick and hungry. When she wasn't watching her screens, she tried to force herself to sleep away the time, to sleep away the horrors being committed in Gotham. Her body was stiff and aching from disuse and her mind wasn't firing at all cylinders from the lack of food.

It took many hours of staring up at her ceiling with hunger gnawing at her belly before she came to the conclusion that she could die in this tomb from starvation, or she could take her chances on the outside. At least if she tried, there would be a chance for to make it.

She steadfastly ignored the tiny voice that asked her if this was a world she even wanted to live in anymore. There was nothing tying her down. She hadn't spoken to her family in nearly twelve years, and she had no clue where her friends were. Self-pity bubbled in her chest, a familiar companion ever since she settled down in the bunker.

Resignedly, she swung her legs off her cot and stretched out the kinks in her muscles. Riley was going to force herself to at least try. If she died out there like many others then at least she wouldn't die like a coward.

A tiny smirk tugged at her chapped lips in a moment of indulgent triumph.

"Guess I'm not that frightened little rabbit you thought I was, Bane," she murmured to herself. Her voice was rough and scratchy the lack of use. The running water in the sink provided her with the merciful relief of water. The worst thing aside from her bodily functions was the loneliness. Being alone with only her eyes on the ground as life surged on outside was fraying her sanity, and she was afraid of what she might be capable of if she spent too much time alone.

Considering the other items leftover in the bunker made this concern warranted.

During her exploration of the bunker and what supplies were left over, she found the cache of weaponry in the corner. Retribution hadn't been a particularly violent group until they threw their weight behind Joker. They built up a decent supply of firearms and ammo to keep them prepared. Before that, all they carried were simple handguns. Riley only knew how to work a sidearm, and she wasn't even that great at it. Seeing the assault rifles and military grade guns reminded her of the lives that were lost, and she felt nausea churn in her empty stomach.

After she shook out the cobwebs from her head and drank some water from the sink, she grabbed her empty duffel bag. There were places around the city that she'd been keeping an eye on. By now, stores have homes have been looted, but she had hopes that she could find something to get by. Moving to the corner where the make-shift armory rested, she stared at it dubiously. She didn't know how to use the bigger guns, and she knew that bringing something she didn't know how to use could mean it could be used against her. They might look big and intimidating, but Riley knew that she wouldn't be comfortable to even hold it.

She settled on the Smith & Wesson .22 Special. The weight was faintly familiar in her hand though she found it unsettling. She clumsily filled the magazine with all twelve rounds, having to use more force than she had to shove each bullet in. Once it was filled, she slid it into the gun and looked at it curiously. Riley wasn't sure what to do with it. She had no harness to stick it in, and she wasn't going to do like the movies do by shoving at the small of her back.

Ultimately, she ended up settling on sticking it in her open duffel bag. She had the bag slung over her shoulder with her hand side of it, gripping the gun. She was incredibly conscious that the safety was off, and she wasn't sure if she was prepared to use it. Riley had learned how to handle it, but she'd never taken a life before.

She had to resign herself to the thought that there was a first time for everything.

* * *

The afternoon sun blinded her at first when she took her first steps outside for the first time in seven days. Her lungs happily sucked in the fresh air, and she could feel the chill that bit in the wind. Riley tugged her coat to her tighter. She was fortunate that the bunker kept the cold at bay, but she knew she would have to eventually stock up on blankets along with food to keep her going as winter pressed around Gotham more forcefully.

Even though she felt exposed outside in the open, she relished the feeling of the sunlight on her skin. There was a little bit of renewed vigor in her as she began making her way around the city in search for the supplies she needed. Things were a little quieter than they had been initially which worried her because she felt like anything could come at her at any given moment.

During her scavenging, she got a better idea of what thing were like in Gotham now. It was bleak and quiet, save for those skulking around like she was. Anyone she passed kept their heads down and their pace fast, so she did the same. She hit up a few stores and empty houses that had been ravaged, filling her bag with more non-perishable items that she could live off of. Despite her water source, she grabbed a few water bottles that she was lucky to find lying around.

Things were going well, and she was quickly finding a groove during her searching. It wasn't until she reached a family owned winery that she finally ran into trouble. The moment she stepped in, Riley knew that something was off. The air pressure was different than the other empty buildings she entered. This felt like there was someone there with her. She paused at the entrance, hovering between walking away and pursuing this venue, when she heard the whimpered cries and harsh words.

After hearing that, she knew she couldn't walk away, not after what she'd been through. Riley made sure to keep her steps slow and quiet as she tried to find where the noises where coming from, and as she rounded a corner, she saw a man on top of a struggling woman. He had himself settled between her legs, forcing him on her. Each time she screamed or fought against him, he punished her with a hard punch to her face or body which only elicited even more noise. He was enjoying her pain.

The scene made her empty stomach lurch as it brought back the harsh reminders of her own brush-in with rape. His hips rocked against her roughly, and his breaths came out in hungry, ragged moans.

Riley didn't realize that she'd spoken until his head whipped around to look at her.

"The fuck did you say?" he demanded, his movements stilling. She felt his eyes ravage her, and she could see the joy on his face at finding a new toy to play with.

"I said get off of her," she repeated herself with a little more strength behind her voice. Her demand was met with laughter. Beyond him, she could see the crying red eyes of the woman he was violating, and Riley hated that there was no hope on her face. She was giving up and resigning herself to this.

"Get off of her!" she demanded again, louder this time. The man laughed, giving her the finger, before resuming with his rape.

Grunting, he smirked over his shoulder, "I'll get to you next, baby."

Without another word, he continued to groan and thrust into the poor woman, and Riley was forced to listen to her quiet sobbing. The smell of sex and tears in the air permeated into her senses, and she remembered the ugly way her attacker ground his body against her. Whether she wanted to face it or not, he'd taken something very valuable away from her. Between him and Bane, she'd lost her sense security and agency. Ever since then, she'd been cautious and scared, ready to run for her hutch.

Overwhelmed, she watched as the rapist shifted into the man that tried to do the same to her, and in her moment of total vulnerability, Riley found that she didn't cower down. Instead, she grew _angry._

It was like an out of body experience. She hadn't been conscious of her actions, but she felt the way her hand lifted out of the bag to aim the gun at the man's head. She pointed the sidearm at the man's chest, and without a moment of hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

The resounding bang and recoil shocked her back into reality. The woman was screaming as blood splattered everywhere along with pieces of flesh and muscle. As if in slow motion, the man's body fell forward on top of her, but she was panicked and quick enough to scramble away.

Riley stared in astonishment. Instead of the bullet rushing into his chest as she hoped it would, it had torn through the side of his throat instead. Her aim had always favored being a little higher than intended, and the bullet had ripped through his jugular. His blood gurgled out of him onto the floor at an alarming rate until his body jerked into stillness.

The gun in her hand was still outstretched and pointed; only now her hand was shaking. The experience as a whole caught up with her, and she lurched into movement. Dropping the gun back into her bag, she collapsed on the floor and threw up the only thing that was in her stomach, water. Once it was expelled from her body, she dry-heaved painfully until she was just panting on her hands and knees. She remained like that, going over what she had just done.

"Hey," a voice shaky and feminine said as a hand lightly rested on her shoulder sometime later. "Hey, you okay?"

Riley wiped her mouth to look up at her. The woman had righted her clothes. Blood stained her all over, and her face was a real piece of work thanks to the beating she received. She was already beginning to swell up from the assault, but even with those temporary deformities, the gratefulness was easy to read.

"You saved me," the woman said. Slowly, Riley nodded because she wasn't sure what else to say. She killed a man. Granted, he was a terrible man, but it was a life all the same. His blood was on her hands. When the woman didn't receive a response, she added, "We should get out of here. It's going to get dark soon. I was stupid and thought I could hit the supply cache."

That last bit of information caught her attention. "Supply cache?"

"Yeah," she sighed heavily, smoothing the wrinkles in her mussed clothes. The woman's hands were shaking, and there was a tremor going through her body. Her voice was tight, and Riley sensed that she didn't want to come undone before her. "I know. It's stupid. Bane's people or the other criminals usually get to them within like twenty minutes, but I hoped I could knick something. Guess you'll do some crazy shit for food, but look where that landed me."

"What do you mean supply cache?" Riley asked, trying to understand. It was from this woman, Missy, that she learned everything about the show trials and what was going on in Gotham now that there was no longer any sense of order. She also learned that Bane had struck a deal with the outside world. Food was becoming scarce within the city, and while they couldn't cross the bridge for fear of destroying everything, he accepted that they dropped a supply of food twice a week.

The food was meant for everyone, but with the way the food chain was now, the food usually ended up being hoarded by those who didn't deserve it.

After she caught up on everything, the sky was already beginning to darken. The two women parted ways, but not before Missy grabbed her in a tight hug. She couldn't manage out her gratitude though Riley felt it all the same. She made sure that Missy walked away with some of the food she'd scavenged to at least let her leave this incident with something.

When Riley finally settled back in her bunker half an hour later, she still couldn't believe she'd killed someone. That thought and the new information about the supply cache danced in the forefront of her mind.

* * *

It took another week and a half for her to reconcile herself with the idea that she'd long since decided on since her first venture outside. There were people in this city that were suffering due to this dystopian oppression, and she knew that many of them weren't lucky enough to have the same resources she did. With her ability to track what was going on in Gotham and the unfortunate supply of weaponry, she had a slight upper hand. Riley didn't have experience, but she had her resources. It was just a matter of taking a risk.

She heard quiet whisperings that not all the police officers were buried alive. There were a few still out there trying to form a plan and stop Bane and his bomb, among them Commissioner Gordon. Riley wasn't looking to join them. She wasn't a police officer although part of her knew that they could benefit with her tech support. She told herself that maybe later down the road, if things got really bad, she'd go to them. Right now, she had other things on her mind.

Killing that man had been a black mark on her soul that burned heavily into her at times, but it had given back her confidence and agency. It had given back her ability to be more than just afraid inside.

Ever since she found out about the supply cache, her attention had been piqued. That was a lot of food and water for people that needed it. It was just a matter of figuring out where the drops where and when. Figuring out the pattern gave Riley a sense of focus and purpose again. It was better than her first week when she let herself waste away. It also did something to alleviate her loneliness and boredom.

It took three weeks for her to get a decent idea on the drop schedules. The military was smart, having either sensed or figured out that the supplies didn't always go where they were supposed to. They dropped twice a week, but each time was at several possible places throughout the city at different times of the day, sometimes at night. No matter how random they wanted to be, they inevitable built up a little bit of pattern.

It took plenty of trial and error, but she managed to catch a few of the drops. The first time she did, she was overjoyed beyond belief at her success. From watching through the city cameras, she learned that it usually took a good twenty to thirty minutes, if she was lucky, before Bane's people got to it.

"Didn't someone tell you it's wrong to steal?"

Riley had been in the middle of stuffing her bag with as much food and water that she could fit in there when she heard the voice. Gripping her gun, she turned around and pointed it at the person in question. A brunette woman stood there, warm and well-dressed in her stylish coat.

"I'm not stealing. This is meant for the people of Gotham," she replied firmly, proud that she kept the quaver out of her voice. She hadn't been forced to use her gun since her first day.

The woman smiled at her thought it wasn't any mirth in it. "The people coming for it won't think so."

"People need this food. They're already suffering enough under Bane's boot. Why shouldn't they get what they deserve?" Riley retorted with a scowl as she stood her ground.

"Well, aren't you just a regular Robin Hood?" she snorted, "Some people would say this is exactly what they deserve."

Shaking her head, she argued, "Not everyone. Not like this. There are kids out there. Mothers, fathers. Grandparents. They're all people, and they're hungry just like I am."

The woman silently assessed her, canting her head to the side thoughtfully. There were a few beats of silence before she spoke again.

"You'll have to be faster. Bane's people will be here soon," she said finally, stepping forward to gather her own share of the supplies. The woman had a bag of her own, and Riley realized that she must have been tracking the drops in her own way.

"What's your name?"

The woman smiled at her enigmatically and answered, "Selina."

For three months, things continued on in this manner. Riley tracked down the drops, and when she was successful, she gathered as much as she could carry. Over time, she developed a stronger rapport with Selina as well as Missy once they found each other again. Between the three of them, they took as much of the supplies as they could and distributed to those who needed it. She learned that there was more to Selina that met the eye, having seen her in action once during a close call.

Each time they pulled it off, Riley felt renewed and victorious. She was doing something, and not only was she doing something, she was doing something that mattered. While they couldn't feed everyone, they managed a good chunk of the city between the three of them. No one knew how long they would live like this or whether they would survive long enough to see life go back to normal, but she felt life was worth living as long as she could keep doing something that mattered. She wasn't sure if Selina or Missy felt the same way, but they never complained or backed out whenever things go too hot.

It was a dangerous thing they were doing, stealing from the man who basically ruled the city. There were more instances when Riley was forced to use her gun, shooting down people who pursued or threatened her. Her aim was slowly getting better, but she learned to carry extra magazines on her regardless. Twelve shots only got her so far.

It was after a particular hazardous drop victory that she got her next big surprise. Returning to her bunker, she closed the panel behind her and dropped her bag to the ground. She had her share of food now though she made sure to ration just in case she couldn't get more. Drop victories were intermittent with failures since they couldn't always accurately predict where the drop would be. It was a lot of luck as well as experience that helped them out.

Riley was looking forward to taking a nap, but stopped short when she saw a man leaning at her desk to study her screens. Instinctively, she raised her gun and demanded, "Put your hands on your head and turn around."

It took a moment, but he did what he was told. Slowly, the man turned around to face her and she felt that hard edge she wore whenever she went outside drop. He smiled at her as relief flooded through his system.

"Jim," she breathed out in surprise. There, looking very alive and well, stood James Pross, fellow Retribution member and Michael's best friend.

"Hey, porn star," he greeted her with equal amounts of awe, using the nickname that Retribution had tossed around after hearing Michael tease her with it much to her chagrin.

"I thought you were dead," she stated as she lowered her gun.

"Thought you were you too," he shrugged and lowered his hands from his head.

* * *

They spent the rest of the evening catching up and trading stories. She learned that he survived the hospital explosion by sheer moments. He'd been released earlier that day and had even passed Michael on the way out. Jim only managed to get down the street when the explosion occurred. Knowing that the Joker was behind it, he was smart enough to lay low and keep his head down once he realized how south things were going. He hadn't been able to return to home base until things quieted down in fear that Joker or one of his lackeys might be waiting to clear up all loose ends. Jim assumed from the way things were that Riley had gotten caught in the crossfire somehow since there were no traces of her anywhere.

In return, she told him all that she'd been up to in the last eight years, sharing her food with him as they chatted. It felt good to see a familiar face even if she and Jim hadn't always seen eye to eye. Before Michael, there had been something between them until she'd gotten swept off her feet by his best friend. After that, they realized how much they differed in personalities. Jim always had an extreme personality, and he was terribly reckless and hot-headed at times. It had always been Michael who reigned him in and grounded him. Seeing Jim again gave Riley a companion, something she'd been sorely lacking. Even with Missy and Selina, it still wasn't quite the same. Jim was someone who knew her before, and though he missed a chunk of her life, they still had a connection.

"So you really track down those supply caches and spread the wealthy?" he said, looking quite impressed. "I've heard Bane and his guys have been going apeshit over that."

Modestly, she shrugged. Riley wasn't trying to be a hero. She was just trying to do what was right. She knew what the hunger pains felt like, and it was a terrible to go through that when there was a food source being offered up to Gotham twice a week.

"Let me help you. I bet you'll get even more done with me at you back."

She grinned at him because Jim had always been a much better shot, and she felt much safer and more confident to have him around.

It took three failed drop findings before they scored one. Riley was the closest one to it, so she and Jim went in for it. Through the walkie-talkies that she and the other women acquired to stay in contact with one another, she notified Missy and Selina where it was. Missy was too far away, arranging that they meet at a rendezvous point with her in order to give her bag to distribute, while Selina promised she was en route. There had been a pout to Missy's tone because after meeting Jim, she was becoming slowly enamored with him. Riley hadn't been surprised. Jim had always been handsome, and she was happy that Missy was beginning to get over her apprehension around men.

Selina, on the other hand, was distrustful of him. Not only that, but their personalities clashed. She liked thinking things through and setting up a plan, the unofficial leader of the three women. Riley provided the intel, and it was Selina who called the shots. With Jim around, he'd been tugging at the bit and shoving his weight around, stepping on her toes.

"She sounds like she's in a good mood," Jim grumbled behind her, referring to Selina's terse reply to them. Riley chuckled as she filled her bags.

"You have to admit that you egg her on sometimes," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's just because she looks so fucking sexy when she's mad."

Even without looking at him, she could hear the smirk in his tone. She chuckled at him, shaking her head, as she shoved more food and water into her bag. The three weeks had been good for her spirit. Having him around energized her, and he was a good set of extra eyes and a brain to see and catch things that they sometimes missed when trying to figure out drops. They got along much better than they ever did back when they were in Retribution. Behind her, Jim let out a heavy sigh.

"You know, it's been really great seeing you again, porn star," he said fondly.

"Don't tell me you're going soft on me, Pross," she said dryly. She was distracted with gathering supplies that she didn't pay attention to what he was doing behind her.

"Never," he said calmly. "There is something I need to get off my chest though."

There was an odd shift in her tone, and Riley turned around to look at him. She was met with a gun pointed straight at her face.

"What the hell, Jim?" she demanded him, brows furrowed together in confusion. A spike of fear and apprehension rose through her because having a gun pointed at her was never a good thing.

"Look, I get it. We have history. You were my best friend's girl. I know I'm a asshole for doing this, but frankly, Gotham has become a real dog eat dog world, and Bane has been offering a ridiculous bounty if someone brings the supply thieves to him. Besides, I never could quite forgive you for running around on me," Jim explained to her easily as if they were discussing the weather. "Here I am checking our old base for more guns and ammo, and I find you. Even better, you're behind the drop interceptions. Imagine my luck! I'll get a damn good reward for bringing you in."

Riley stared at him, trying to keep her expression impassive even when her heart was threatening to jump into her throat. "Are you going to kill me?"

He laughed, rich and hearty, at her question. Jim shook his head. "No, I might be a real dick, but I couldn't do that to Michael, God rest his soul. Nah, I'll just leave all that up to Bane."

With that, he struck her hard across the face with the gun until she blacked out.

* * *

Riley drifted in and out of consciousness. There was a swimming blackness, intercepted with images and memories from another time. After awhile, she became conscious of the fact that she was being moved. She was thrown over someone's shoulder as they carried her somewhere. She could hear noise around them, voices speaking and talking. Groggily, she opened her eyes, but she was only met with more darkness. She realized that it was due to the bag covering her head.

It was a good thing that she was too shell-shocked still from the blow to her head to move. She laid limply, letting the person carrying her think that she was still out of it. There was a pounding headache in her head, and she had a feeling that a bruise was already blossoming along her right cheek which took the brunt of the hit. They continued walking for a bit longer until the person came to a halt. She was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, landing painfully on her side with a thud. Riley forced herself to stay calm, trying to keep her breathing even.

"Here you go. One thief just as you ordered. The other two will be harder to get ahold of, but I can assure you I can bring them in soon. Consider this a down payment," Jim's voice said proudly.

There was a shift in the air along with a raspy mechanical hissing. The sound made Riley stiffen.

"You mean to tell me that this tiny slip of a woman has been the cause of my most recent headaches?" Bane's voice rumbled through the air, amused and annoyed all at the same time.

Jim toed her prone body roughly. "This one is smart. She had the whole set up in an old bunker to hack the city cameras and track things."

There was a silence before Bane spoke again. "Take your leave then. I have a thief to attend to. Barsad will give you what I have promised."

Jim thanked him graciously before his footsteps receded. A hush engulfed the room once more, and Riley didn't notice that Bane had moved until she felt him crouching down next to her. Her breathing betrayed her as her chest rose and fell quickly in her fear. His rough hand wrapped around her neck to jerk her upright, causing her to let out a protesting wheeze. The bag was pulled off her head, and she blinked blearily at him. It took several blinks for him to come into focus, but she could see the surprise in his eyes to see her.

"Well, well, I had no idea it was hunting season for you just yet," he said to her, eyes crinkling at the corners in the way they did when he was amused. "Hello, little rabbit. It seems as though the red strings of fate has decided to bring us together once more."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **This chapter was incredibly hard to write because there was still so much groundwork I had to lay down before reuniting Bane and Riley. I actually think I'm rusty on his voice towards the end because I had to get through everything else first. I apologize if this chapter is a bit rushed, but like I said, there was a lot of content I wanted to get through. I also made the mistake of writing this late into the night, seeing that's it's nearly 5 AM for me as I upload this. I hope you'll forgive the quality and errors of this, but I wanted to give you guys what you all wanted which was to see more Bane and Riley interaction. Now that I've finally brought them together again, we can see how they play out. I'll most likely go back and edit this chapter at a later date because I'm not completely satisfied with it.

I've added an image to go along with this story, so I hope you guys enjoy that little treat. I'm certainly proud of it especially since I don't have very good image manipulation skills. Thank you to all the loyal readers who have been following this story and giving me the push I needed to get through this chapter. A big thank you to all the new readers, those who favorited, followed or reviewed it. It means a lot to me. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!

Until next time!


	6. We Had Nothing Before Us

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Six: We Had Nothing Before Us**

* * *

When Riley came to, she was irritated to realize that she'd passed out again. She wasn't sure if it was because of the stress and terror on her or if it had been the way Bane gently cut off her air supply. She awoke with a jerk, sitting up much too fast. The blood rushed in her head, and she was painfully reminded that she'd just been pistol whipped recently and dropped hard on a floor.

Her vision swam before her, and it took her a couple of moments for her to notice that she'd been laid out on a plush couch. Slowly, she took in her surroundings. From the looks of it, she was in some expensive high-rise condo. The late afternoon sun was filling the room, and she noticed with a reflexive jerk that Bane was sitting calmly in the arm chair near her.

He didn't bother to acknowledge that she was awake. Instead, he calmly continued reading the book he had in his place. Her fingers tentatively went to her throat where the delicate flesh felt tender and sore.

"You didn't tie me up," she realized once she utilized the free mobility of her arms. Her voice was raspy from where he gripped her throat. Looking down at her body, she found that it was true. Riley was unbound, lying on the couch as if she'd been napping.

"You wouldn't have run away," he answered her evenly, turning a page in his novel. It made her bristle inside the way he thought that he didn't have to acknowledge her presence, making her feel like something lesser than him.

It was that combined with her rough handling of a traitor that made her snap at him. "You sound so sure."

Her bark elicited an amused rumble out of his chest, something that she both heard and felt. Finally, he deigned her important enough to look upon. His gaze was level as he stared her down, a single eyebrow quirking up at him amusedly.

"Where would you have run to, little rabbit?" he asked her. "We are several stories up, and this building is plentiful of people loyal to me. Where could you have possibly gone except to your doom?"

Riley didn't have an answer for that, so she chose to glare him instead. She wanted to look intimidating, but she had a feeling it came off more as petulant than anything else.

"You will learn soon enough, girl, that you are safest, here with me. Consider yourself very fortunate that I have been decided to grace you with a pebble of kindness, much more than I've shown anyone else, by deciding to keep you alive," Bane informed her as he elegantly shut the book and set it on the coffee table before them. From her perch on the couch, she could make out a close up of a lone rabbit in a field on the cover.

Riley felt uneasy that he was bestowing her with the gift of her life. She knew now just how mad his mind was, and being allowed to live would surely come with some sort of a price.

"This is the second time you're letting me go with my life," she pointed out carefully, keeping her tone calm and measured.

Bane gave another bark of laughter that sounded so gritty through the mask he wore.

"You're getting ahead of yourself," he said, and Riley was betting all the food she had hidden in her bunker that he was smiling beneath the grotesque contraption on his face. "I never said anything about letting you go."

She stilled, staring at him with a frown. Bane took this as a sign to continue, and she could sense that he was taking a great amount of joy in it.

"As far as I'm concerned, you are indebted to me. I saved your life, and now I own you until you can pay me back in kind."

"You _own _me?" she exploded the moment she heard him utter those words. The vehemence in her tone strained her vocal codes, but all she saw was red. Riley got to her feet, looking furious. It was absurd and offensive to hear such a thing even in the world she lived in now. She'd only recovered her own sense of self-worth and power, and she would be damned if Bane or anyone took it away from her all over again. She was better than that. If she signed herself over to anyone like that then what was the point of living?

Bane, to his credit, didn't look bothered at her fit. He merely sat back in his seat and studied her as if one was looking at their prize. "I've never had the luxury or time for a pet. This will be an enjoyable experience to behold, I believe."

A pet. Riley stared at him with utter hatred. He might have once held some sort of appreciation in her after he saved her life, but everything she knew about him and the words he was spewing to her now made him reprehensible.

"I am a person, not an animal. How dare you think you can own me just because you saved my life!" she hissed at him. Her right hand fluttered wildly at her side for the gun that wasn't there.

"If it weren't for me, you would be violated and dead in an alleyway, long forgotten by now. You would be merely another statistic, an unfortunate story in the evening news. I am your saving grace, and it is my verdict to take you in as mine. There is much I want to see from you, and I find that I will have a spectacular time training you to be obedient."

The words rolled off his tongue like molasses, thick and viscous. The worst part about it was that he didn't spoke in anger or hate. Bane said all of this to her as if it were pure fact, and there was a genuine sense of anticipation in each syllable. He was looking forward to having her.

Having her.

Those two words made her cold inside because she refused to be raped. That night, Riley had wondered if she'd gone from the frying pan to the fire, and now she knew for certain that was true. She didn't have a gun to defend herself, nor could she go toe to toe with him. Bane could easily crush her without working up a sweat.

So she did the only thing any unstable, angry woman would do. She began grabbing anything she could get ahold of and started throwing them at him forcefully. It didn't matter what they were. Pillows, vases, books, whatever she could wrap her fingers around. Each time she found new ammunition, she threw it in his direction.

Blind with hysteria and rage, she watched in satisfaction as he was finally called to action and emotion. Fury rippled across his features, and she saw the anger that danced in his gaze. He took each hit easily and without a single remark, but he began to advance on her. Riley instinctively began backing away, searching for more items to defend herself with. She knew that she was making him angry, and she couldn't deny that there was a part of her that hoped that she could enrage him enough to kill her.

She had to be sensible here. This was Bane. He was at the top of Gotham's food chain, and without any resources or adequate skills to fight, the line was going to end here for her one way or another. Even if he wanted to keep her as a pet, she didn't know how long his attention span was, and he could easily grow bored of her within the week and kill her anyway.

Better that he killed her now instead of making her go through his sick, depraved game.

Her hand was reaching out for the crystal statuette next to her, but her fingers never quite reached. Bane planted both of his massive paws on her shoulders to grip her tight, slamming her against the wall. The impact was enough to daze her a bit, and she numbly wondered where the cartoon stars were, the ones that were supposed to be swimming in her sea of vision.

"It will be an utter delight for me to break your spirit, rabbit. I wonder what your limit is. Will it be physical force that makes you bow down? Or will I have to take a more psychological and emotional route in order to get you to crack?" he growled darkly at her. Bane had several inches of height on her, but his presence loomed and weaved all around her. Riley turned her face to look away, but his hand gripped her chin firmly to force her to meet his gaze. She gave a pained whine of protest at his grasp, her jaw still aching painfully.

"I will not kill you, nor will I allow you to rob me of the life I own, just for the unadulterated satisfaction of unmaking you. You will learn self-discipline and obedience to me. You will be but a submissive pet that I have cultivated, and you will take pride in what a good master you have."

His words slid over her, trying to get into the cracks and crevices of her soul. For a moment, they stared at one another in pure silence, save for their breaths. Riley was breathing hard against him, a contrast to the mechanical hiss that denoted his own breath. A slew of thoughts flew through her mind faster than she could analyze them. Bane had her cornered, determined to break her down into pieces in order to make her something that wasn't her. The only thing she could do now was pray that she could survive it with pieces that still belonged to her.

When she spoke again, she spoke her determination and refusal of him. Riley wanted to let him know that she wasn't going to make this easy for him, and she could see in his gaze that he hoped that she wouldn't.

"_It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll_," she rasped at him recalcitrantly. She couldn't continue on because she was interrupted by his laughter once more. Bane released his hold on her, and she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

His hands rested at his thick, heavy vest as he laughed down at her.

"You and I, we're going to embark on a brilliant journey together, little rabbit. I look forward to seeing your rebirth."

* * *

They developed an odd sort of relationship from there. From what Riley could gather, she was his hobby and entertainment, something he turned to when he grew weary with his reign of terror for the day. She spent her days and nights locked up in the condo. True to his word, there was no point in escaping. There were always two armed guards outside the main door, and they were only relieved when Bane himself arrived.

She made it a point to be as belligerent and difficult as she could possibly be. If he was going to take joy in tearing her down then she was going to fight and scratch the whole way down.

"Tell me your name," he asked her as they sat at the dinner table together on the morning after her arrival. He had that book in front of him again while she had a plate of food sitting before her. Riley stared at with as much distaste she could muster on her expression even though her belly was aching for the sustenance.

"Danielle," she answered him drolly without missing a beat.

His gaze flicked up to look at her, clearly displeased and unimpressed. "You shouldn't lie, Riley Watson, especially not to me."

It was disconcerting to hear him say her name. The fact that he knew it only surprised her a little, but it didn't make hearing it any less unsettling. Up until now, he'd only addressed her by one of the pet names.

"What's the point if you already know?" she retorted as she picked up her fork to move her food around on the plate. The food was fresh, making it even more tempting. Riley had no idea how he managed to get fresh food when the supply caches only contained MREs, courtesy of FEMA.

"A mere testing of your insubordination although I can see you are clearly determined to be difficult," he scoffed at her, watching the way she chose to only play with her food. "There are people in this city willing to kill for that meal, little rabbit. Surely you won't be so ungrateful?"

"Gee, ungrateful to the man that sees me as chattel?" she responded sarcastically. Riley dropped her fork on her plate definitely. The utensil made a loud clinking noise against the fine china. The condo, she learned, had belonged to John Daggett. A man who, as Bane described, met an unfortunate end due to his greed.

That particular conversation had ended with her losing her temper at him again while he calmly watched her, unaffected.

"You are a willful girl, but you will not be such for long," he told her after she had thrown her plate across the room. Bane punished her forceful backhand to the face, touching upon her already swollen and bruised jaw. "That mess will be cleaned up by the time I return or you'll suffer the consequences."

He stalked off for whatever criminal masterminds did during their working hours while she was left cradling her face. Riley was learning that Bane could tolerate a lot of her bullshit, but even he had a limit with her.

The day stretched on, and she was left to her own devices. She refused to clean up the mess and broken china. Her imprisonment in the condo was somewhat similar to all the time she spent in her bunker. Granted, she had the luxury of more cubic space and other luxuries like windows and furniture. She missed her tech set-up. Riley had grown used to keeping an on everything to know exactly what was going on with Gotham. Without it, she felt like she was flying blind.

The closest reprieve she had to that was the balcony that overlooked the city. Riley felt a moment of delight when she found that the doors to the balcony were unlocked. Bane must not have thought her to be crazy enough to jump to her death. Whether that was a wise decision or not, she wasn't sure. The weather had turned considerably colder, so she tugged the thickest blanket she could find around her shoulders and stepped outside. There was a table and chair set, and she dragged one of the chairs near the edge in order to curl up in it.

From her vantage point, she could see everything that was going on in the streets below her, or she could stare at all the high rise buildings and skyscrapers throughout Gotham. She grew comfortable in her little perch, nestled and warm in her blanket. The sun was bright, and it brought some warmth despite the cold. This was something her bunker didn't have, and she found that didn't want to jump, not now anyway. Right now, she found a rare moment of peacefulness, and she wanted to savor it. It surprised her that even in the face of greatest adversity, she could find this tiny piece of serenity to enjoy.

Riley must have dozed off because the next time she opened her eyes, the sun was lower in the sky. It filled the apartment with dusty orange-red light. Her face was throbbing, and there were a few creaks and groans in her body from the way she'd fallen asleep in the chair. Slowly, she hauled herself to her feet and padded back inside.

"And the rabbit scampers in from the cold to her warm, comfortable hutch," Bane greeted her mildly from his position on the couch. "Decided against the idea of freezing yourself to death?"

The last vestiges of peace faded away at the sight and sound of him, and she gave him a scowl. She was surprised to see him back already. Night had even fallen. Then again, she wasn't privy to all that he did or what his plans were, so what did she know?

"You didn't clean up your mess, and I refuse to clean up after your fit of slothfulness," he pointed out, and she noticed he was reading the damn rabbit book again. "I highly recommend you clean it up soon, or we'll have another lesson in discipline."

Riley snorted, ignoring him. She moved past him to head to the room he designated at hers. Her door was to remain open at all times, and in the evening, he kept her locked in. She was nearly halfway there when she heard a rush of air and a hiss before feeling his hand wrap around her arm. She huffed unhappily because she was getting rather tired of the way he was manhandling her. Reasonable fear had left her hours ago, replaced by the need to remain true to herself before he ruined everything that made her who she was.

"Do not cross me, girl," he snarled at her, jerking her towards him. The blanket fell from her hands as she stared up at him.

"Go ahead. Hit me," she dared him boldly and perhaps a bit stupidly. "Maybe you'll knock that headache right out of me."

His hand twitched as if ready to do just that, but he stared at her with an unreadable expression. Riley wasn't sure he what he was doing at first, but she didn't get a chance to think too long at it before he was dragging her towards the table. He forced her into a seat which she all too happily sat down in. She was still trying to stave off the weakness in frame from hunger and thirst. Bane studied her again for another few beats before taking his leave of her.

She couldn't figure out what his plan was until he returned to her with a bottle of water and a plate of food. Unscrewing the top from the bottle, he pressed it to her lips while the other hand forced her mouth open. Before she let out a squeak to argue with his handling, he tipped her head back to force the water down her throat. Riley had to swallow quickly at the speed it was running into her mouth, and the uncomfortable way it went down the wrong pipe made her sputter and tear up.

Once Bane was satisfied, he reached for the fork and gathered up some food on it. She could see now where he was going with this, and she immediately struggled against him to avoid the involuntary feeding. It took several attempts, but he finally shoved the fork into her mouth. His hands weren't gentle on her throbbing face as he made her chew the food and swallow.

He moved to do it again, but this time she conceded.

"Stop, stop, I'll do it, okay?" she vainly tried to shove him off. Riley wanted to at least keep a little bit of her dignity, and she refused to be fed like a child. It was a lost cause anyway to keep avoiding it. As soon as she got the taste of fresh food and water, she began slowly eating and drinking on her own.

"After you eat, you will take this for the pain and clean up your mess. Am I clear?" he ordered her as placed a single white oval pill next to her bottle of water. She'd conceded once to him today, and she hated to do it again. Her only answer was to look up at him before steadfastly ignoring him in favor of her food. Bane hated being ignored, she learned. His hand darted out to grasp her jaw, squeezing to take advantage of the pain. "I said, am I clear?"

"Yeah, whatever," she managed out through the pain. He released his hold before heading towards the door.

"I've brought you a bag of things, fit for a pet. Feel free to paw through it in the living room. Behave yourself and try not to suffer any separation anxiety while I'm away, rabbit," he called to her over his shoulder, the playful sarcasm thick in his tone.

With the doors shutting behind him, Riley was finally alone again. This time, she was too amped up to sleep after napping throughout the day. Without him there, she felt more at ease, and she let out a breath. When she was done with her meal, she brought it to the sink to wash it. There was a moment of hesitation, but she decided on finally cleaning up the mess. It was a little act of contrition that wasn't really serving her a greater good. It angered Bane, but it was more trouble than she was worth. Just because she followed one or two orders didn't mean she was giving in. It just meant that she was choosing her battles more wisely.

Once that was out of the way, she debated taking the pill he left for her. The ache was awful, but she could tolerate it. Besides, she drew the line at taking strange, unknown drugs from a madman like him. Her pain was a good thing. It reminded her to keep fighting. That's what she told herself anyway as she made herself to the living room.

There was her black duffel bag, but she could tell right away it wasn't filled with MREs or water. It sat on the coffee table, half unzipped. She sat down on the floor in front of it and simply stared. There was a curiosity in her to see what he brought for her. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek. It would at least give her a little more insight into what he had in mind for her in terms of being his pet.

Riley looked around for a moment as if Bane was watching her from somewhere before sighing and digging her hand in. It was an array of things much to her surprise, and nothing untoward. There were clothes, practical clothes, and she was relieved that it wasn't filled with scanty lingerie. Rape was still hanging in the air between them, and she wasn't sure if or when he'd force himself upon her.

Amongst the clothes were other things like books and toiletry items. It was all very normal stuff that she begrudgingly appreciated. There was a full bath and shower in the condo that she was secretly eager to try out. Spending months cleaning up with a wash towel and a sink didn't compare to the spray of water from the shower all over her body.

It was the last thing she found at the bottom of the bag that enraged her. Her hand wrapped around a length of soft leather in her hands that had something bumpy along it. Her brows knitted together in confusion until she pulled it out to examine it.

Riley stared at the item with an incensed expression.

In her hand was a soft white leather collar, long enough to fit around her neck, with diamonds encrusted on it. The white was stained a faint pink from what she could only unhappily guess was from blood. The collar had belong to an incredibly large dog who in turned belonged to incredibly wealthy people if those diamonds were real.

She was livid enough as it was, but it was the red heart dog tag that hung off of it that had her throwing a loud fit, armed guards outside her room be damned.

In the middle of the tag, laser inscribed in bold capital letters, was not her name, but the word, _Rabbit_, instead.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Jeepers! That was a lot of Bane writing, and I hope I did him justice especially to those who praised me on writing him in previous chapters. I felt like I had a lot to live up to, so I hope you are all still enjoying my portrayal of him. Now we're finally getting into the beginning of the dynamics between Bane and Riley. It's a very tricky relationship to write, but I'm enjoying the exploration of it. It's a lot of push and pull between them, and I have to really work at making sure they somehow achieve some kind of balance.

I want to say thank you to all my readers especially those who followed, favorited and reviews. The reviews have especially been such great encouragement to keep writing. It's honestly the thing that has been fueling me to manage out a new chapter everyday since publishing this story. I want to say a special shout out to _chemicallyattracted _for recognizing all the allusions to A Tale of Two Cities that I have included. I'm such a English nerd that I couldn't help myself especially after finding out that Nolan used the novel as inspiration for TDKR. The italcised bit that Riley says to Bane after he tells her what he has planned for her is from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. The part that she doesn't get to finish saying to him is: _I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. _Bane, I'm assuming, is extremely well-read and would know this poem hence why he finds it amusing that she's reciting it to him. Like I said, I'm kind of a literary nerd. If you'd like to indulge me, feel free to find all the ATOTC allusions I make in the story even the more obvious ones in the title and chapter titles. :) They're like little Easter eggs for me.

Don't forget to share your feedback with me! Until next time!


	7. Going Direct the Other Way

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Seven: We Were All Going Direct the Other Way**

* * *

"Was the collar not to your liking?" Bane's voice rumbled from the door. It made Riley start because he had this way of sneaking up on people. He moved like a ghost without noise, and her jolting movements cause the water the bathtub to swirl and splash around her.

After finding the collar, she'd thrown a Grade-A fit. It was months of repressed anger, fury and hopelessness that all combined together in a vehement tempest of emotions. She'd gotten some of it out the day before when she'd thrown actual things at Bane, but this time around, she was screaming and throwing the things that he'd given her. The collar was gripped tight into her hand until the diamonds bit into her palm, and she launched it at the closed door.

Her guards didn't come in, either because they thought she was insane or they didn't want to deal with Bane's temperamental pet.

Riley got all of it out of her, and she felt considerably lighter though there was still a weight upon her soul. She was still Bane's property whether she liked it or not, and she was going to remain so unless he decided to kill her or she could find a way to escape. She wasn't naïve enough to think that he would just release her back out in the wild.

She sat there in silence, trying to take deep and even breaths to center herself. This was just another problem that she needed to solve. She'd always been adaptable, and she was certainly a survivor. She could figure this out.

Trust. She needed to win Bane's trust, or whatever the equivalent a master would feel towards a pet. She needed for Bane to believe that she was docile for him, but she had to make sure that she didn't do it too suddenly. Part of this sick game was her rebelliousness. Bane took pleasure in taking her apart, breaking her down. It was entertainment to him, and for this to work, she needed to make sure she remained insubordinate until she simulated her broken spirit over time. If she did it too suddenly, he would know she was playing him.

It was a good plan, but it was certainly playing with fire. It could backfire on her at any moment. Riley reached beneath her shirt to grasp the ring on the necklace she wore, clutching it in her hand. She needed to find a piece of herself and lock it away, something that she could come back to and find later to remember herself if things went awry.

Finding that piece of her, she resolutely locked it up and refused to look and think on it.

Already, she was feeling a little bit better about this situation. It always made her feel better to have some kind of plan in place. Looking around, she heaved a sigh and figured it was best to clean up the mess. That was a fight she didn't feel like having with Bane.

She picked up everything, save for the collar. Now _that _was a fight she was willing to have.

Riley had been in the middle of rejuvenating herself with a bubble bath when Bane arrived. She'd been lost in thought and the pure bliss of warm water on her body. The moment she heard his voice, she curled her body closer to her to keep her modesty. The bubbles were only somewhat frothy, giving bulleted peeks into the water and what it hid below.

"I'm not going to wear that," she spat at him, arms wrapped around herself. She saw that he had the collar dangling from his fingers, giving it an almost jaunty swing. Bane pressed forward, moving to sit at the edge of the tub. Riley was pressed against the back and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Really?" Bane said conversationally, setting her on edge. "I would have thought the soft pink to it would have caught your attention along with the diamonds. You are a terribly ungrateful stray, might I add."

"Maybe you should have saved someone with more pedigree instead," Riley countered. She must have said the wrong thing because his gray eyes grew dark and stormy. She wasn't sure how that set him off, but the next thing she knew, he reached out to grab her. He hauled her body towards him. Modesty tangled with her need to wriggle free from his grasp, but once he laced his fingers through her hair, he had her in a firm grip.

Silently, Bane maneuvered the collar on her deftly with one hand. He secured it to where it clung lightly around her neck, but provided her with enough space to keep her from feeling stifled. He moved the piece of leather around until the dog tag with the name he bestowed upon her rested at the hollow of her throat.

As soon as he was satisfied, he released his hold on her and gave the collar at her throat an admiring look, his earlier ire apparently abated. Riley was the one now who looked furious.

"Be that as it may, you are mine to own. You will keep the collar on from here on out," Bane informed her coolly. He seemed to be done with the conversation, getting to his feet and leaving her to her bath. Despite the remaining warmth in the water, she felt cold and angry, but she reminded herself that she had a plan in place. She just needed to play along until she could find an opening.

* * *

They found a rhythm with one another as the next few days passed. Riley continued to find ways to be obstinate while Bane relished in breaking her in. Her face was slowly healing since he deferred from direct hits there, choosing instead to use a crop on her. Her arms and shoulders were raised with red welts, varying from light to severe with a cut, from the discipline he exacted upon her. He knew how to make it kiss at her skin with softest of touches to startle her or to make it bite deep unto her to draw blood.

She spent her days locked up in the condo without much to do while Bane attended to his business. She enjoyed the quiet solitude to herself because no company was better than his company. There was a hot flame of hatred towards Jim for selling her down the river like this. She vowed she ever had the chance to run into him again, he was going to have it coming.

Riley kept herself amused with the books he brought her. They were all classics, and she could sardonically guess that Bane wanted his pet to be well-read like he was. One day, he'd left his book lying around, and she spent the afternoon pouring over it, trying to figure out what was it about this novel that had his attention so raptly.

She was disappointed to find that it was not some archaic tome or philosophical book like the works of Sun-Tzu or Machiavelli. The book was _Watership Down, _a fantasy novel about rabbits that were trying to find a new home after their warren had been destroyed. At first, Riley felt disgust, wondering if he was reading this novel to get to understand her mind better. If so, he was taking the rabbit metaphor a little too literally.

Most likely, he was reading it to make fun of her and get under her skin.

Bane found her like that in the later afternoon, lying on her belly and reading the book. He was pleased that his pet didn't spend her day in idleness. An idle pet was a lazy pet, and he was struck with the reminder that she hadn't had much stimulation. He decided to remedy that.

"Rabbit, come," he ordered her calmly at the door, having only just entered. His coat was heavy and thick over him, making him look like some kind of revolutionary. She guessed that he probably thought he was one. Riley ignored him and turned a page in the book. One of her favorite ways to piss him off was by ignoring him. It was a little triumph for her to learn that weapon against him. He was a complex, unfathomable man with grand ideas, and he enjoyed being heard and unleashing the true breadth of his power. Bane liked it when people cowered down before him. It wasn't enough to just be courageous in front of him. She had to be indifferent.

"I said, come, girl," he said again. This time, his tone took a lower, dangerous register. She heard a rustling at his coat, and she could imagine him pulling out the crop. Riley waited until he took a step forward before shutting the book to look up at him with an exasperated sigh. She was learning that it was a push and pull game with him, and she needed to make it difficult enough for him to keep him satisfied as she pretended to slowly acquiesce to his will.

"What?" she said unhappily, not moving from her spot on the floor. From the coat hanger, he grabbed a woman's overcoat for her and held it out for her.

"We're going for a walk," he answered. There was that crinkling amusement in his eyes again, and it made her narrow her eyes into slits at him. The indignation that roared up in her was genuine, and she didn't have to fake it for him. She never had to fake any of her rage when it came to Bane.

"A walk?" she parroted with a snarl. "What? Do you have a leash too?"

Her answer was switching out the crop for something else, lifting up and releasing the coiled black strip of nylon. From his grasp, it tumbled down towards the floor, several feet long. Even from her spot in the room, she could see the way his eyes danced in amusement.

Riley opened her mouth to argue when he dropped the lead completely to the floor. He spoke before she even got a chance. "Calm yourself, little one. I trust that you are smart enough not to run away because if you do, I will hunt you down no matter where you go and hide. Anyone who stands between us will only serve as an unfortunate obstruction that must be taken care of. We both know you would rather not have innocent blood on your hands.

Bane had her there. It was twisted, but she saw it for what it was. It was a compromise with an addendum to it. Somewhat mollified that he wasn't going to keep her on a leash and walk her through the streets of Gotham, she slowly got up and went to join him.

"Very good choice," he praised her when she reached his side. He helped her get into the black overcoat that was line warmly with some sort of fur. At least she was a well-kept pet though the thought didn't bring much comfort. It anything, it just brought upon more derision.

They exited the condo, making their way towards the elevator to the ground floor. She stayed by his side with an air of obedience as she tried to keep her excitement in check. It had been quite a few days since she'd been outside more than just the balcony. The circumstances were left wanting, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Riley received quite a few looks from his people, and she was conscious of the collar she wore. The heart shaped tag glittered against the light, bumping against her throat with each movement. Some of his people stared at her with lascivious looks which made her step falter, accidentally pressing closer into Bane. Her supposed master look down upon her before looking to see what troubled her.

"They will not touch you if that is what you fear," he assuaged her unspoken fears. His tone wasn't kind, but there was a reassurance to it. "They know you are mine and mine alone. As long as you wear that collar, they know you are my property."

At least there was one good outcome to the stupid collar. She didn't have to stave off multiple people out to get her, having only to worry herself with one, the biggest, most dangerous one at all. It coaxed a biting laugh out of her to which Bane only reciprocated with a look of amusement.

It was nice being outside and being on the streets. Riley thought it was refreshing to be outside of the condo that she was holed up in, no matter how lavish and comfortable it was. Her joy must have been written all over her face because Bane spoke up next to her.

"See what you would've missed out on had you decided to be difficult instead?"

Her unconsciously open expression shuttered, and she gave him a petulant look.

"Just because I like being outside doesn't make what you're doing okay. I'm still a person, not an animal," she pointed out crossly. They walked side by side down the street. She followed his lead, unsure of what his destination was. Riley wasn't sure if he was bringing her anywhere in particular or if he was merely giving her a good chance to stretch her legs.

"Regardless, your life belongs to me until you can pay me back in kind."

Riley paused to stare at him skeptically. "And what are the chances someone needs to save _your _life? You're practically a bear in a mask."

As much as Bane enjoyed breaking her down, he also thought her retorts to be refreshing. There weren't many people who would talk back to him like this, not without punishment. Riley was learning her limits with him, sometimes exceeding them just to say what was on her mind.

"A bear in a mask? Is that what you think of me?" he questioned her with a raised brow.

"No, I think you're a monster," she answered fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest. "And everything you're doing here in Gotham is wrong."

Bane laughed at her again. It was a sound she was growing familiar with since many of her antics either brought him the greatest amusement or the most terrible rages. It seemed she that she was falling more towards the former today.

"You burn with such gregarious self-righteousness, Rabbit. Is that what keeps you warm at night, knowing you belong to a monster?"

"No, what keeps me warm at night is the fifteen hundred count Egyptian cotton sheets and downy comforter that you saw fit to provide me with, _Master_," she bit out with sarcasm. She used it more and more around him like a protective shield. Riley knew that she couldn't match him in a physical fight, but she'd be damned if she let him best her verbally. Sometimes she did overdo it, and she paid the price by accepting a hit from his crop.

"Master," he repeated after her, reaching out to grab her arm. Instead of the rough handling he'd been doing of her lately, his touch was gentle. His fingers wrapped around her arms lightly to steer her forward. It was a lot like the evening when they first met, and the touch startled her out of her irritation. "I do like the sound of that from your lips. You're learning."

"You should learn sarcasm," she grumbled as they began strolling together once more. There were a handful of people out, but they always stilled whenever they saw Bane passing. His presence was intimidating, and not a single soul wanted to cross him.

She got more looks, and they ranged from pity to loathing. They couldn't figure out if she was at his side willingly or if she was a captive.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked him after silence had fallen over them. The evening sky was beginning to blanket Gotham.

He glanced down at her, and from the way his eyes gleamed down, she could imagine a smile beneath his mask. "I already told you, little one. We're going for a walk. I will not tolerate a lazy pet under my care."

She huffed at him, but said no more.

* * *

That was their first week together.

Slowly, Riley began to learn to tolerate his presence. She wasn't any happier with her situation, but her plan kept her from going insane. She continued to receive her share of lashes from the crop, but she bore each mark with a sense of pride. They were physical reminders that she was still hanging on.

Bane continued to keep the condo stocked with fresh food and water. During the day when he left her alone, she entertained herself with books. She continued to read _Watership Down _whenever she could, and when she couldn't, she had a variety to choose from. When she didn't read, she practiced her dancing. There wasn't much in terms of a music collection in the apartment, none that she could dance properly to, so she just danced to the music in her head. She was somewhat knowledgeable in a variety of forms, but ballet remained something of a favorite of hers.

Through rote and muscle memory, she danced the steps she could remember as a child and during her university years. At Gotham University, Riley had taken a few dance classes to fill her elective and fine arts credit. They'd been some of her favorite classes. She'd even gone to perform in a few of the university's ballet productions as one of the background dancers. It felt like another life ago, and she thought it ironic that all the times she changed her identity, she was now fighting tooth and nail to keep the one she had now.

One day, Riley overextended her ankle during a more difficult move. She let out a soft cry as the pain shot through her foot and up her ankle, causing her to fall unceremoniously to the living room floor. She was hissing at the throbbing ache that rolled through her, and she gingerly reached out to touch it.

When Bane retired to the condo that evening, he found her struggling to get up from her seated position on the floor. She hadn't heard him come in, so he was afforded with the opportunity to watch her. He was irritated with her still from that morning when she'd chosen to pick a fight with him over the collar again. He'd given her three lashes to her shoulders for her trouble.

From his position at the door, he watched Riley as she tried to stand, only to fall each time since one foot couldn't support the weight of her body. He was reminded of a bird that was trying to take flight with an injured wing, almost lovely in its vulnerability. When she landed hard with a frustrated groan on her bottom, he decided to make his presence known.

"If this is part of your plan to cross me, it's backfired, Rabbit. It looks to be causing you more trouble than it is me, and frankly, I might prefer you this way," he said as he strode towards her. Bane shrugged of his coat to rest it on the coffee table. His hands went to grip at his vest as he stared down at her. "You're immobile. I don't have to concern myself with the possibility that you might try to escape."

He received her familiar glower up at him in response though it was tinged with restrained pain.

"I think I sprained my ankle," she managed out venomously, trying to bury down the pain she was feeling in order to put up a front. Bane smirked. It was one of things he enjoyed about unmaking her. Riley was always so determined to try and seem unaffected, but he knew that just meant he had to up the ante.

"You stink of sweat. What were you doing?"

Curtly, she responded, "Exercising."

Her eyes, so dark and expressive, shuttered as they did when he toed too close. Bane could sense she was keeping a part of her away from him, a part that he could not touch. It only made him even more determined to break her down. Time was ticking down, but he had confidence that he could remake her into something else before it ran out.

Without another word, he crouched down and scooped her into his arms. Like a wild animal, she wriggled and struggled against him, but he kept her firm in his hold. His first stop was the bathroom, and without much fuss, he opened the shower door and gently set her down. His fingers went to work at undressing her and stripping her down until she was bare.

The moment he began taking off her clothes, he was met with a tempestuous objection. Her hands slapped at his, and she kicked her legs at him even with her injured ankle. Her struggles only made her pain even worse, but she refused to settle down. Bane grabbed her shoulders and gave her a firm shake, barking at her, "Stay still."

It was a futile order because once he went back to undressing her, her struggles were renewed. It took a large amount of effort, but he managed to get her naked. It wasn't until she curled up to hide her body from him that he understood what the issue was.

"I'm not going to rape you, Rabbit," he informed her coolly. Her eyes looked up at him suspicious and wild. For a moment, Riley felt a little bit of hope. He did save her from being raped after all. "If I wanted to, I would have done so already."

Her heart dropped at the admission. She watched as his hand reached out to turn the water on, and she was assaulted with the spray of water from the shower. It was cold at first, but it didn't take long for it to grow warm.

To her surprise, he hauled her to her feet, supporting her weight with ease, and began to bathe her. With deft, efficient hands, he began to scrub her down with her wash towel and body wash. His eyes stared at her with clinical disinterest even when he touched her bare breasts. When his hands dipped lower to get her more intimately, she swatted his hand away and gave him a meaningful look. They stared at one another in silence before he skipped that part of her entirely to continue bathing the rest of her body.

Her skin was a lather of frothy white bubbles, and she faintly wondered through the surreal experience if this was how an owner washed their dog. Once he was satisfied, he took the shower head from it cradle and began to hose her down. He worked in silence, and all Riley could do was watch him with a sense of wonder and suspicion. She couldn't believe this was actually happening, and she thought that the only thing more degrading than having him groom her like an animal was to actually make her eat from a bowl.

After her body was washed, Bane went to work on her hair. He forced her hands to hold on to him to support her weight to give him the use of both hands. They were face to face, and the experience was getting him just as wet as she was. He lathered and massaged the shampoo into her hair and scalp. With her head cradled in his hands, strong and large, she stared at him, lips partially parted in uncertainty.

He stared at her, pinning her down with his gaze as he so often did. Riley was close enough to hear the very clearly the mechanical hiss of his mask. It was the first time that she wondered, truly wondered why he wore it.

If it was just for aesthetic purposes to get people to fear him then it worked, but she sensed there was something more. She'd never seen him without it, not once. Riley realized belatedly that she never saw him eat either. Or drink, for that matter. He had to. He was human just like she was. It would be silly to think him something otherworldly.

Her gaze locked with Bane's, but this mutual stare was different than the one they shared earlier when he bathed her body. There was something strangely electric that sent a sizzling heat throughout all her nerve endings. She was conscious of the way her heart thundered in her chest, and she would tell herself later it was because of fear.

It was Bane who broke it first by making her tilt her head backwards into the hot spray of water. The shampoo washed out, running down her body in rivulets until it circled her feet down the drain. He was thoughtful enough to condition her hair as well, but that experience went by less strangely, mostly in part to the way Riley avoided his gaze.

By the time he was done washing her, she thought he would leave her alone now that her sweaty stench no longer offended his delicate senses. He proved her wrong by wrapping a fluffy towel around her to dry her, lifting her up to set her down on the bathroom counter.

"Stay," he commanded her gruffly. She sat there with the towel pulled around her while he began rummaging through the other cabinets. Her hair dripped and hung around her face, being a nuisance until she wrung the excess moisture out of it.

Bane returned to her a moment later with first aid items. The sight of it in his hands couldn't have shocked her more if he had simply removed his mask in front of her. Her eyes darted from the first aid kit to up at his face, trying to figure out if this is a joke.

"Stick out your injured ankle," he said, and to her own surprise, she complied. Her ankle lifted up for him to take. It had swollen considerably since the accident happened. Silently, he made sure her ankle was dry before wrapping it up firmly in an ace bandage to give her support. All Riley could do was sit there dumbly as he attended to her injury. When the deed was finished, he gestured for her to turn in her seat to offer him her right shoulder where three fresh marks criss-crossed on it, joining the other marks from past punishments. They healed usually within a week or so without much trace of a scar, save for the deeper ones that she achieved by truly angering him.

His fingers dabbed it with ointment, and she jerked at the touch. Bane paused to look at her questioningly, but she bowed her head down to let him resume his work. It was the first time since he'd taken her in as his pet that he treated the injuries he caused her.

"Mind your temper, Rabbit, and you wouldn't have to suffer the consequences," he reminded her. There was no kindness in her tone as usual which contrasted to what his actions were doing. He spoke matter-of-factly like this was all simply truth. Riley didn't have a witty retort for him for once. He covered the lashes with a bandage, taking a step back to admire his work, before nodding.

"You will retire for the night. I have more work to attend to this evening, and I can't afford to have you getting in the way because of your hardheadedness."

He scooped her up again his arms, and she felt the dampness of his vest against her. Bane took Riley to her room, resting her on her bed. He picked out some clothes at random from the wardrobe space she'd taken as hers in the closet. Throwing the clothes at her, he ordered her to rest. It was when he was walking away to close the door behind him that she found her voice again.

"Why?" she asked. When the word fell from her lips, she couldn't figure out what she was asking.

Bane paused, turning around to look at her. His expression, from what she could gather, was intrigued. "Why what?"

_Why did you do that? Why did you help me? Why are you being so nice? Why? Why? Why?_

All those questions and more wrung through her head, but none of them made it out of her mouth. Instead the questioned she asked him was, "Why haven't you raped me?"

He didn't answer her immediately. Bane tilted her head to the side in the way that he did when he was trying to read and understand her. Several beats of silence passed before he finally gave her an answer.

"You are my pet, Rabbit, nothing more. Why would I lower myself to something below me? You are a creature to possess and tame, perhaps even grow fond of if you ever manage the impossible task of growing on me, but I do not look for carnal pleasures from you, of all people," his voice rumbled almost harshly, each syllable cutting her down. "You are not my equal, nor will you ever be. Don't be foolish enough to think that a man of my stature could ever want anything more from you than your submissiveness."

Bane ended his explanation with an unimpressed look and a scoff, turning to leave her. The door closed behind him with a soft click, and he was gone.

His words should have comforted her. It should have lightened her worries about being raped. Bane was always true to his word, and if he said he would never touch him like that then he wouldn't. The weight on her chest didn't lift. Instead, Riley clutched the towel to her tighter, feeling a bizarre mixture of humiliation and a lack of worth creep into the crevices Bane made into her soul.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone for being such wonderful readers. Everyone that have favorited, followed and reviewed are just amazing people, and you really make this writing experience worthwhile! Riley and Bane are progressing, and I have such fun ideas for the next update. I'm looking forward to all your feedback for this chapter!

Until next time!


	8. It Was the Worst of Times

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Eight: It Was the Worst of Times**

* * *

For the days after Bane's reasoning behind not raping her, Riley felt out of sorts. For the first time, he managed to unsettle her so wholly that she constantly felt on edge and unsure. Since she couldn't move around very much thanks to her sprained ankle, she took up reading on the balcony. Hobbling there from her room was a feat in itself, and she was ready to be healed up already.

The way Bane took care of her injuries left her feeling odd. It took her a awhile to realize what he did to her since it did a number on her head, and she was glad that the epiphany hit her when it did. His kindness and gentle treatment of her body was just another manipulative ploy. It was a very thoughtful way to break her down, and he was doing it in a way that was so unassuming that she hadn't noticed it.

"He's trying to Stockholm me," she murmured aloud. Hearing it said cemented it. Bane was her captor, and his act of kindness hadn't been kindness at all. It was merely the absence of his cruelty. She was beginning to wonder if he was even capable of such a feat. The realization made her bristle, strengthening her resolve to be difficult. He'd gotten a reprieve for the first few days, and she understood now that he'd been pleased with her sudden complacency. She hadn't had the urge to fight with him since she was trying to wrap her mind around what he'd done for her.

Not only had that, but the words that he'd said to her cut her down. He made her feel lesser than him like she wasn't even human. It was a relief that she wasn't rape worthy to him, but she needed to remind him that she was a living, breathing, sentient person. She was getting caught up in this game that she was beginning to lose herself, but she wasn't going to let that happen. She was on to him now, and she knew she was dealing with a very clever manipulator. It meant that she had to tread more carefully as she played this game with him.

Her head suddenly felt clearer, and Riley felt like herself again. When Bane returned that evening, she showed him so.

"I do hope you're not becoming too complacent simply because of a sprained ankle," he remarked when he entered, finding her lounging on the couch. Riley wasn't reading this time. She was laid out on her back, eyes closed, with her hands resting primly on her stomach. It looked as though she was sleeping, but her alert reply informed him otherwise.

"Even if I was at my one hundred percent, there's nothing for me to do around here except read or exercise. Oh, and those wonderful walks we go on, _Master_," she snapped at him. Her lips curved into a slight smirk because it felt so good to sass him, to reestablish who she was again. "Besides, you and I both know that you just have your monster panties in a twist because I'm not fetching your slippers and meeting you at the door when you come home."

There a noticeable silence that stretched between them, and Riley liked to think that for the first time she'd stunned him speechless.

Bane recovered quickly, and she could feel him move closer to her until he stood over her.

"This is unfortunate, Rabbit, and here I thought we were beginning to see eye to eye," he said to her. His voice, all rough lilting words, was even though she could feel it thundering around her.

"How can we see eye to eye when I'm below you?"

Her retort was saucy, and she couldn't help as her smirk widened. There was only the sound of his mechanical breathing. With her eyes stilled closed, she couldn't see his expression, but she could imagine that he wasn't at all pleased with her. Even when she felt his fingers lace through her hair, hand guard bumping harshly against her scalp, she didn't let the expression drop. Bane yanked her upwards so that she was eye to eye with him. Riley let out a soft groan of pain at the way her tugged so sharply on her hair, and she was forced to look at him. They were nearly nose to nose as her feet tried to find purchase on the couch.

"You are an impudent creature today, girl," he snapped at her, words coming out like a jagged growl.

Through her pain, she remained persistent with her defiance. "Oh, good. I was hoping you'd notice."

He tossed her down on the floor like a ragdoll, her body banging against the edge of the coffee table during her fall. Riley felt the breath get knocked out of her upon landing.

"You're asking to be punished then?" Bane asked her lazily as he pulled out the crop. He held it firmly in his hand, and for once, she looked forward to feeling the sting of it bite into her flesh. Maybe this experience was turning her into a little bit of a masochist, but each lash meant that she was doing something. It meant that she was still fighting.

"I'm asking for you to go fuck yourself."

It was the icing on the cake, and no longer could Bane hold back his temple with her. Angrily, he advanced on her and yanked down her shirt at her shoulder. There was a bandage over her previous lashes that she'd been dutifully changing on her own ever since he'd taken care of her, but now he simply ripped it off and tossed it aside. The welt had gone down, and there were only scabs of what was so severe before.

"Count," he ordered her. "Count and think on your insolence."

The first lash came down hard, making her cry out. It hurt terribly on top of the pain that was already there, but she resolutely didn't do what asked of her. Bane paused only for a moment, waiting for her to count the one lash, and when she didn't, he struck her again with more force.

Riley squeezed her eyes shut as the crop came down on her tender skin over and over again. She wasn't strong enough to hold back her yelps and cries, and she truly hated the way tears began to leak from the corner of her eyes.

It was fifteen hard lashes in all, the most she'd ever gotten at one time. She'd never been this mouthy with him, and his lashes usually ended with five at the most. Although she hadn't counted out loud as he wanted her to, she kept track in her mind. She'd focus on the sense of liveliness that the pain brought her. The pain was her friend because he was punishing her for being her instead of what he wanted her to be. She was still Riley Watson, Riley Gray, and the girl she'd once been twelve years ago. She wouldn't let Bane take away from her. She wouldn't be his Rabbit.

Warm, sticky liquid flowed down her shoulder and arms. Riley knew that her shoulder must look like a mauled mess after being struck several times in the same place. Even when they healed, she'd wear his mark permanently on her body, but she was determined to see it badges of war, not defeat.

"For your sake, I hope your disposition improves," he rumbled as he released her. Bane straightened up, walking over her prone body, to his own room. As he withdrew to his own sanctuary, she caught sight of the crop, damp from her punishment, as it cried droplets of her blood along the smooth tiled floor.

Riley smiled at his retreating back because she might be suffering from physical pain, she had made a point. He wasn't the chivalrous knight he was trying to confuse her with. He was just a monster with a mask, and he was very talented at changing that mask to throw her off.

Now she knew better. The knowledge made her stronger against him.

* * *

Taking care of her back was difficult. Bane wasn't looking to help her. He was still irritated with her actions that put her in this predicament. She cleaned up the wounds best as she could without help, and she hissed at the way the rubbing alcohol burned against her open cuts. It took some creative maneuvering, but she managed to rub some ointment and get a bandage on it after several tries. It ached to move that shoulder too much, but she made do.

After nearly a week, her ankle wasn't as strained anymore, and she was able to move about close to normally again. Her shoulder was still a mess, but that would take longer to heal. She continued to be difficult for Bane although nothing to the extreme like that day. Sometimes she allowed herself to be compliant to make things easier on her, but she made sure to still pick fights with him.

Their relationship returned to its electric, dangerous charged state as it had been before she sprained her ankle. It frustrated Bane at first to have to go a few steps back, but reminded himself that this would only make his victory over her even more delicious. Helping Talia fulfill her father's destiny was his life's work, and he remained steadfastly remained loyal to her. Riley, on the other hand, kept him entertained when his work was done for the day. Talia couldn't see him as frequently as he would have liked, so he had his side project to busy himself with.

When Bane rescued Riley from being raped, he'd been reminded of Talia in a way. She was a fighter yet possessed an inherent goodness in her, a light that had shined so brightly in the shadow that he couldn't resist to help prevent it from being snuffed out.

When they met again, he realized that her light not only radiated, but it burned as well. There was something incendiary about her even in her fear, and it intrigued her. He'd been all too delighted to discover that the thief Pross had brought him turned out to be her. Bane was still having problems with the supply drops, courtesy of the two thieves still out there, but they were the least of his concern. Their successful Robin Hood attempts gave Gotham hope, and he knew how hope could poison the soul in the face of defeat.

He could've easily interrogated Riley to give up her accomplices, but he had bigger plans for her. She was his pet, his Rabbit. They were already having such a bumpy journey together, but he was confident that she would be singing a much different tune in the months they had left together.

For now, he kept a watchful eye on her and dealt with her disobedience with force. She'd become more than intimate with the crop, and sometimes he sensed that she almost relished the punishment. He couldn't have that. Punishment should break her down, not strengthen her.

Bane should have known that she was too troublesome when thoughts of her infiltrated his mind during the time he spent away from her. He had a plan to keep to. He had Talia to please. Thinking of ways to break down his pet was a distraction he couldn't afford. Everything was in place, but he was a smart enough man to know that regimes toppled every day.

Annoyed with himself, he took his frustration out on the poor soul that had been caught working with Gordon's resistance. Without any preamble, Bane snapped his neck and inhaled the sense of power it brought him. He felt centered again and back in his right mind. Riley would be something he dealt with later when his work was done for the day. For now, he had a resistance to keep at bay.

* * *

Reading on the balcony was something Riley could only do during the brightest parts of the day. It was cold enough now that Gotham was beginning to become dark and overcast easily from the winter season. They were beginning to get snowfall, and it brought her a little bit of joy. She'd always enjoyed the snow though she never cared for the cold that accompanied it. Her preference was to be warm, and she savored the hotter seasons. The only reason she could tolerate the cold was because of how pretty the snow was.

It was cumbersome to read outside since she had to make sure she was bundled up to remain comfortable. A simple blanket couldn't do on its own anymore. She'd just finished _Watership Down_ and _Of Mice and Men_ when she decided to head back into the warmth of the condo. Riley was busy unwrapping herself of her winter overclothes, so she didn't notice her new company until she looked up.

"Miss Tate?" she gasped out in surprise. Her eyes had widened comically because she hadn't expected Miranda Tate of all people to be here. The woman looked as well-dressed and elegant as ever, and it made Riley wonder how she managed it during this time of need and desperation. She scuttled forward quickly with a concerned look. "Oh my god. Are you okay? Did Bane kidnap you too?"

Miranda's red lips twitched into a wan smile. She didn't answer at first, choosing instead to study Riley. Slim fingers reached out to brush back Riley's hair which had gotten messy and flattened from the winter hat she wore. Those same fingers moved to dance along her collar until she gripped the heart dog tag curiously.

"What an interesting name," she said finally.

"Uh, no," Riley said awkwardly. "My name is Riley. Riley Watson. I worked for Wayne Enterprises in the IT department."

The other woman's gaze didn't look up to acknowledge her, staring intently at her tag.

"So he named you then?"

"It's a _really _long and frankly degrading story."

Riley didn't want to go into a lot of detail although she felt quite relieved to have a familiar face even if she hadn't known Miranda Tate beyond what she knew from the news and through work. Somehow Bane had managed to capture her too. She had snarked at him before about choosing a pet of better pedigree. Maybe this was his choice.

She grew cold all over. Would Bane tolerate two pets or would he put down the useless, problematic one? Suddenly, it wasn't such a nice thing to have Miranda around. Not that she had anything against the woman, but having her here really threw a wrench in her plans. Bane didn't trust her, and she didn't have any sort of escape plan in mind, at least not one that involved her jumping off the balcony.

"Talia," Bane's voice called from behind them at the door. Riley was confused, wondering for a moment if he had renamed Miranda as well. If so, she felt a flash of indignation because Talia was a much better name than Rabbit. At least Talia sounded like it could belong to a person.

A bright winning smile crossed Miranda's features as she turned to look at him.

"I was just getting to know your pet, my dearest," she said to him in her sweet, accented voice, reaching behind her to stroke Riley's hair once more. In response, Riley jerked against her touch and looked between the two of them with growing horror.

Miranda wasn't here because she'd been captured. She was here of her own free will, and it seemed as though she and Bane were allied with one another. Her mind began working overtime as she tried to figure out how long and how deep this partnership stemmed. Miranda had been on the board at Wayne Enterprises for goodness sake!

Bane was able to read all the emotions playing out across her features, and he addressed her curtly. "To your room, Rabbit."

Her expression closed, and she gave him a brazen glare. She stood her ground staring at him.

"To your room or I promise you will regret it," he said again. His tone was dangerous, much deadlier than she'd ever heard it before. Riley hesitated for a moment before storming off. Just because he sent her away didn't mean that she couldn't eavesdrop.

From behind her, she heard Miranda say disapprovingly to Bane, "She is a temperamental creature."

There was a deep, rumbling laughter from him. "It means I will reap more gratification from breaking her spirit."

Riley's door slammed loudly behind her.

She sulked for a little bit, trying to give them time to lower their guards. Riley was curious to see what their connection was and what they were planning. She paced her room for a good fifteen minutes before giving in. Quietly, she opened her door a crack to try and listening. She could hear their voices faintly from her room, but it wasn't enough. Making sure to take slow, quiet steps, she padded down the hallway to get closer.

"Everything is going according to your plan," she heard Bane's voice say. There was something different about his tone, and she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Gordon is up to something. I can feel it in my bones. I cannot allow him to ruin everything we've worked so hard to build."

Miranda or Talia or whoever she was sounded contrite and vexed. There was a rustling noise before either of them spoke again.

"Fret not, sweet Talia," Bane said gently. "My people have been ordered to kill him on sight, and anyone involved with his scheming are to be brought to me for interrogation."

"We are so close. _So close._"

"Your father's destiny will be fulfilled, and you shall reign on top when this city is nothing but ashes."

They continued to speak softly to one another, and when Riley felt like they were distracted enough, she carefully peered around the corner to sight the two of them wrapped in each other's arms. Miranda was pressed snugly against Bane's broad chest while his arms wrapped around her, holding her as if she were to break if he held her too hard. Her hands cradled his face, rubbing her thumbs along the angry lines of his mask.

The scene was startling enough to behold, but it was Bane's expression that knocked the breath out of her. She'd never seen him like that. His face was soft and gentle as he gazed down at the woman before him, and in his eyes, she could see utter adoration and devotion in them. Miranda was the center of his universe, and nothing was going to change that. She understood now what was so odd about his tone when he spoke to her. There had been love there, an emotion she thought he wasn't even capable of.

Something inside of Riley shifted oddly, and she was beginning to figure out that eavesdropping and spying on them was a terrible idea indeed. This wasn't a side to Bane she ever wanted to see, nor did she ever want to know that it even existed. The monster wasn't supposed to have complex layers. He was supposed to be a terrible beast, through and through. Everything he'd done to Gotham, its citizens and to her was deplorable.

He wasn't allowed to be hopelessly in love with a woman.

That made things complicated. It made him more human, and she didn't want to see him as one.

Scathingly, she figured that she wasn't too surprised. Miranda always held a certain charisma about her. She was a popular businesswoman and socialite who was often seen in the company of many handsome and rich men including Bruce Wayne before Gotham went straight to hell.

Riley wasn't sure if she made some sort of noise because she wasn't conscious of it, but suddenly Bane's expression became steely and closed off as he looked up. He spotted her immediately, and she jerked back down the hallway.

Miranda's response was a lilting laugh.

"Seems as though your troublesome pet is up to no good again," she teased him before tugging on her coat. "It's all very well. I must get going now before Lucius starts to worry."

Riley was quietly tucked away in her room as the two said goodbye, and she knew that she'd feel his wrath in no time. Sure enough, he came barging into her room lividly moments later. She felt silly for feeling like a child that had been caught awake past her bedtime especially since the consequences would be much more severe.

"So the crop?" she said conversationally, beginning to tug off her shirt to expose her back to him. She wasn't going to kid herself that he was going to decide against punishing her. Riley had invaded upon a very personal moment, seeing Bane in a way that she guessed no one else save for Miranda did. Or Talia if that was her actual name.

"No, not the crop for you, you ill-mannered, insubordinate, brat," he snarled at her. He advanced upon her, seizing her from her bed. This was a new turn of events since the crop had been a standard form of punishment between them. Instinctively, she knew she had to struggle against whatever he had planned for her. She kicked and swung her fists on him, but he simply stunned her with a harsh backhand to her face before he began dragging her body down the hall.

Her struggles renewed as he continued to drag her down the hallway and through the living room, but he kept a firm grip on her forearms. No matter how much she wriggled and kicked her legs, there was no freeing herself form his iron grasp.

Gathering her wrists in one of his hands, he held her tightly as he opened the door the balcony. Bane picked her up and shoved her outside onto the it where she stumbled awkwardly to the ground.

Riley heard the door shut and lock behind her, and she looked up at him in outrage. It was already beginning to get darker, and the temperature was quickly dropping. She felt the cold wrap around her exposed body, and she saw her winter clothes lying scattered on the other side through the slim glass panels.

Seeing his smug, expectant expression, she knew that this was her punishment. Riley had an aversion to the cold, and he'd noticed it. Now he was going to leave her out there until she quite possibly froze to death.

Refusing to go down without a fight, she got to her feet and began pounding at the door. Her fists slammed against it as she screamed all sorts of angry words and expletives. She made threats that she knew that she could never follow through with, but it made her feel like she was doing something.

Most of all, it distracted her from how cold it was. Her fury gave her body a surge of energy and heat that staved off the chill that crept into her body. She was sure her screams and shouts could be heard throughout the city. No doubt, everyone in the building could hear her. Her fists began to ache from the constant batter of the door, and at one point, she picked up one of the chairs to throw it. Bane had laughed heartily at that one.

After awhile, she ran out of steam and slid against the door. The hateful expression remained on her face, and Bane continued to watch her with sick amusement.

Her body began to kick into gear, shivering violently to preserve heat and energy. She was barefoot and dressed only in a pair of jeans and a thin sweatshirt. Riley was glad he hadn't given her enough time to tug off her top for her usual punishment.

Her breathing started to become pants, and she watched as her breath made little white puffs in the air. Snow began to fall and gather around her on the balcony, resting like tiny diamonds along her hair and lashes.

Riley remembered that she needed to keep fighting. She struggled sluggishly to her feet to begin pounding at the door again although not with much force.

"I really fucking hate you," she repeated to him as she said before only this time her voice came softer. It was becoming a struggle to do anything, and it felt like her mind was slowing down. Her coordination grew clumsier, but she did her best to continue pounding at the door. It was a feat for her to be standing up, and when that became a chore, she leaned her body against the door where Bane looked so deliciously warm. He stood there on the other side with his arms crossed, watching her with a self-satisfied expression.

Everything felt numb. She could hardly feel the way her fists banged half-heartedly at the door. All she could think about was how cold it was. It was everywhere all around her, and worse, it had sunk deep inside to her core. A sense of apathy blanketed her foggy mind.

Unconsciously, her words of hate transformed into something else entirely. Instead of cursing Bane and everything he was, her lips began to form around familiar syllables that brought her comfort.

"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit," she muttered to herself, curling up against the door to find warmth from somewhere deep inside of her. "As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end."

Riley continued to repeat the words, over and over, not even conscious that she was saying them. Her mind was beginning to wander miles away to another place, another lifetime.

She thought about Michael's smile and the way his kisses sent shivers down her spine like body was doing now. Her lips, beginning to turn a very faint blue from exposure, tingled as if he'd just kissed her.

Their last kiss had been a casual affair. Before leaving to the hospital, he kissed her gently on the lips before kissing her belly as well for the baby that never was.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been outside in the cold, but she did was somewhat conscious of the fact that she was feeling dazed and out of it. Her body shivered and jerked beyond her control as she continued to chant to herself until the words began to fade into noiselessness and only her lips were moving.

Riley mouthed silently fighting against the tingling feeling throughout her body, letting her eyes droop closed. "_As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end._**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note: **There, you go. Have a little bit of the punishment that a few of you wanted to see. :) And my goodness, you guys blew me away with all your reviews for the last chapters. I'm over one hundred now, and I can't believe! The love and praise that all of you have shown towards this story is so humbling, but above all, it's inspiring me to get these fast updates out because I know it's so worth it to read how excited you guys are.

To answer some questions, yes, Bane and Riley's relationship does dance on some very D/s concepts. He is her master, and she is his pet. Unlike normal D/s relationships, this is a very unhealthy one where it is non-consensual, and Bane is looking to break and own Riley in every way possible. She is literally lower than him. At the same time, she is still his pet, and whether Bane likes it or not, people end up feeling a sort of, well, fondness is a strong word to use for him, but something akin to that towards their pet. My goal in the next few chapters is to explore the ideas of Riley's Stockholm Syndrome as well as Bane's Lima Syndrome, and how that can possibly cancel each other out and create a romance (though we can all agree it wouldn't be a very stable or sane one).

Again, thank you to all that have read, favorited, followed and review. You guys are just downright brilliant! Also, I'm curious to know if anyone wants to know what songs I use to write this story to inspire me or whether they have songs of their own that they think would fit Bane/Riley well?

Anyway, until next time!


	9. Tell the Wind and Fire Where to Stop

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Nine: Tell the Wind and Fire Where to Stop**

* * *

In sheer satisfaction, Bane watched his Rabbit rage and struggled against the door. She had a nearly insurmountable amount of heart and spirit. She was a fascinating thing to behold even when she drove him to his limit with her insolence. He thought that after showing her kindness by taking care of her injuries and bathing her might soften her disposition towards him, but after a few days of compliance, she'd return to her former state of disobedience, much worse than before.

He could see the exposure beginning to set in as the cold overtook her. Her rage slowed before burning out, freezing to solid ice. Riley had certainly put on quite a show, and he was intrigued to see where she would go in her moment of complete and total weakness. He watched as her body curled up, shivering, against the door.

No longer was she cursing him straight to hell. Her lips were mouthing something else entirely, and he was curious to hear what it was.

On the other side of the door, Bane's expression shifted to one of curiosity as he crouched down to try and hear her better through the barrier. He could faintly make out her prayer until the sound grew weak. Her lips continued to move, silently creating the words that she was too weak and tired to expel from her throat.

Riley's body was shivering still, and he knew that hypothermia had set in. The soft blue tint to her lips informed him that it was enough now. Her punishment had run its course, and if he didn't get her out of the cold, he would lose her to it.

Bane had no plans whatsoever to let her go that easily. They still had work to do.

Opening the door, he watched impassively as her body collapsed at his feet. He gathered her up into his arms, and he could feel her wet, cold clothes press against him. Riley's head flopped weakly at his shoulder, and he could tell by the way her eyes were dim and out of focus that she was disoriented. Her lips were still moving, nearly unable to form the words properly.

"I hope you learn from this, Rabbit," he rumbled crossly to her. He didn't receive a witty retort in response.

When Bane caught sight of her, eavesdropping and spying on his interlude with Talia, he'd seen red. He held a special place in his heart for Talia al Ghul, and pet or not, he wasn't going to allow anyone into their special bond. As far as he was concerned, she'd trespassed against him, and he saw fit to punish her severely.

Instead of taking her to her room, he brought her to the one he occupied instead. Lightly, he laid her out on the bed before stripping her of damp, cold clothes. Her naked body was nothing of interest to him as he'd told her. Bane had seen his share of naked women, partaking in their earthly pleasures, but Riley had yet to strike that urge in him. Debasing himself with her was hardly a worthy cause not when there were other viable women that he longed for.

As soon as he had her dry, he pulled back the heavy layers of sheets and blankets from the bed to tuck her in. Bane slept simply in the bed without all the frills that were currently on it, but she needed it in order to get her body temperature up to its normal degree. Despite all her covers, she continued to shiver, and Bane quickly went to retrieve more blankets to place upon her.

He paused when he returned to the room, noticing for the first time how petite she was. With all her layers and blankets tucked around her, Riley looked as if she'd been swallowed whole by the cocoon of fabric. She was so little and vulnerable, truly like a wounded animal. It was here and now that she truly lived up to the name he'd given her. She was but an injured rabbit that needed tending to if he wanted her to live.

Bane placed the comforter and blankets from her bed on top of her, creating a warm nest for her to recover in. He noticed that her lips had stopped moving, and her eyes were fluttering shut. Sitting himself at the edge of the bed next to her, he placed his fingers on her jaw to turn her face towards him.

"Rabbit," he called her, trying to keep her awake. He needed to deduce how far into hypothermia she was in. "Rabbit, speak."

After a few moments and a few taps to her face to catch her attention, he was reward with dazed whimper. Her body was still cold, and he realized with distaste the best solution to recover her normal body temperature. Scowling behind his mask, he stood up and stared down at her. The things he did for this wayward creature.

His hands worked off his boots before moving to fumble with the belt of his pants to remove those as well. He left his underwear on before moving to rest his hands on his vest. His hands hesitated there, reluctant to remove it because of the vulnerability it left him, but he did so. He'd invested too much into his pet, and he wasn't going to let her off so easily. The vest along with his back brace fell to the ground followed by the black shirt her wore underneath.

Bane stood there, all hard cut muscles, breathing in the analgesics through his mask. He lifted up the blankets and found Riley's chilled body beneath the mass. There was a stark contrast between their body temperatures, and he was almost loathed to pull her against him. With one arm, he maneuvered her so that she was curled around him, keeping her close to him to let her leech from his body heat.

She surprised him when she compliantly wrapped her body against his.

"Michael," she breathed sweetly against him, resting her head on his chest broad chest. The name caught him by surprised, and he looked down at her tangled, damp hair. His other hand moved to brush it into some sort of state that resembled order.

"Stay awake, Rabbit," he ordered her. "Continue speaking."

Her body shivered and shuddered against his even as she began to draw the heat from him.

"I've missed you," she disclosed. Her voice sounded dreamy and far away. Bane presumed that she was talking to some former lover of hers. He'd read her records, knew all the secrets that had ever been placed on paper and uploaded into a computer. The hand that held her close dipped to her back in order to rub some warmth into it. Though cold to touch, he noted that her skin was soft. Her whole body was soft against him, and having her pressed against him like this cemented the realization that she was really was just a tiny thing.

He could crush her so easily, no matter how hard she fought against him. Right now, he could do it even less difficult. Riley was in no position to defend herself against him. Her body shivered and shifted against him, pressing closer for the heat and intimacy that she believed she was drawing from someone else. He ignored the way her supple breasts pressed into his side or the way her lithe legs tangled with his.

"Things have been so—so _hard_ without you," Riley continued to speak of her own accord. Her eyes were only halfway open, and he could sense that she was half a world away. She was in a near state of delirium, and he hope that giving her his warmth would bring her back to an active state of consciousness.

For now, he needed to keep her conscious, and he did so by urging her on.

"How have they been hard?" he questioned her. His voice rumbled in his chest, a deep, rolling timbre that touched her.

"I've just—I've just felt so alone."

There was a sense of sadness in her tone, a loneliness that spoke to him. He remembered that in her file, Riley Grace Watson was the only surviving member of her family. She was an only child, orphaned when her parents were killed in a car accident at sixteen years old.

She attained her GED shortly thereafter and attended Gotham University, graduating with a 3.6 GPA and a bachelor of science in information technology. Bane knew that after graduating, she had interned with Wayne Enterprises and was given a position in their IT department a year later. She was a dedicated, hard worker who often finished her work on time, if not early.

Her criminal record was clean. She didn't use social media very much despite her adequacy with technology. She was terrible at driving, judging from the slew of traffic tickets to her name.

Bane knew all of this and more, but he understood that he didn't truly know her. His pet was an enigma and that sent an electrifying shock throughout his whole system. There were layers to this woman that he wanted to pull apart and study until he reached the starkly exposed core of her, the part that she was so determined to keep away from him. He wanted to reach in and crush it with his bare hands.

Even with all these new insights to his pet, it was the loneliness that spoke to him above all. Having grown up in the Pit, he knew very well what it was like to be alone. Loneliness had been his constant companion right along with the shadows he was so fond of now.

Riley's file read so normally. He hadn't researched her until after their second meeting. She'd been a beguiling little thing with her fire, and he knew even then that he wanted to possess her. He wanted her to bend to his will, head bowed to him in deference and submission.

He hadn't expected such an unadulterated loneliness out of her. He certainly hadn't expected the way he instinctively responded to that. His touch was gentle along her back, tracing the tiny binary code that crawled along her spinal cord.

She had an assortment of tattoos on her body. He had counted four in total the evening he had bathed her. Along her inner right bicep was the Latin phrase _semper ad meliora. _On the opposite bicep was another phrase, in English instead, that read in a looping script, _of things despaired. _Bane found it curious to have such contrasting phrases on her body, one that spoke incredible optimism while the other held a note of hopelessness. It was a contrary message for an equally contrary creature, he decided.

Finally above her heart was a pair of intricate angel wings at rest. He found that particular tattoo to be common and uninteresting.

Riley continued to murmur and babble against his heated flesh, speaking to someone beyond him. Michael. Whoever the man was had a profound effect on his pet, and the thought sparked something of a frenzied rage in his chest. Rabbit belonged to no one save for him until he gave up his claim on her. She was his and his alone. Anyone who defied him of that would be struck down.

"You are mine," he thundered down to her abruptly with a harsh, throaty tone to his words.

"Mm-hm," she agreed contentedly. It didn't that he knew in her right state of mind that she would have argued against his possession of her, but it didn't matter. Bane wanted to hear it from her anyway.

"Say it."

His command was demanding and impassioned, gripping her body tighter against him.

"I'm yours," she sighed. He relaxed after hearing her confirmation, letting her babble about whatever she wished.

After sometime, her body began to warm up. Bane was beginning to feel overheated from all the layers and her growing heat, but he remained where he was. He had uncovered a very powerful secret tonight. Inside, deep and hidden behind her idiotic defiance and bravado, she was a lonely girl, and he knew exactly how to deal with that loneliness. He would use it against her, forging a connection with her that she couldn't resist. She would be dependent on him, and she would realize that there was no one left in this world that would show her this same sense of caring.

Riley was alone in this world, and he would be her savior that warmed her in the night.

The knowledge was worth all the discomfort he had to endure because now he knew how to break her.

* * *

Consciousness returned to Riley slowly. Her memory was a hazy fog, and she was first aware of an aching in her bones. She was so deliciously warm though. Instinctively, she pressed herself close into the source of all her warmth, wrapping her arms firmly around it. The warmth looped around her back, and it kept her close. She was all too happy to oblige. It had been a long time since she felt this peaceful and content. All she wanted to do was make this moment last before Bane came and ruined everything.

_Bane._

The reminder of her captor had her eyes fluttering upon in shock, and all her senses caught up with her. It was his laughter that processed first. Riley could hear and feel it so intimately against her, and she jerked up to look at the source.

The man in questioned was laying before her, chest bare, with a self-satisfied expression. His gray eyes danced with mirth, crinkling in the corners that told her he was smiling.

"Good morning, Rabbit," he greeted her calmly.

The previous evening crashed all over her. She remembered finding Miranda Tate, only to find out that she was another woman entirely, a woman in league with Bane. She had spied on them, and he punished her by exposing her to the cold.

Looking around wildly, she realized that she wasn't in her room. Her next horrified realization was that she was naked. Riley tugged the sheets over her chest to protect her modesty and looked at him, clearly alarmed and appalled. She couldn't remember anything after trying to stay conscious outside the door.

"It may be in your best interest to take things slowly, little one. You are still healing from your battle with hypothermia," he told her gently, sitting up with her. Their legs remained entangled in one another, and she jerked and scooted away to establish some personal distance.

They were both naked, she realized in dismay.

"I wouldn't be suffering from hypothermia you hadn't thrown me out into the cold," she countered, her voice a throaty bark. A look that she could only describe as concerned crossed his features as he reached out to lay a hand on her forehead.

The moment he made contact, she jolted away because his touch felt like it burned her.

"You're burning up. I merely thought you were excessively warm because of my body heat, but no, your temperature is high."

There was still that cottony feeling in her head as the ache thrummed throughout her body. The adrenaline of finding herself naked in bed with Bane, of all people, was wearing off as she felt increasingly tired.

"Why are you naked and in bed with me?" she demanded.

He looked amused as he swung his legs off the bed to begin redressing himself. His back was to her, massive and wide. The expanse of his muscles rippled with each movement as he tugged his pants and shirt on. Riley noticed that there was a jagged back that began at the base of his neck down the curvature of his spine, an ugly painful antithesis to the tattoo she bore.

"Firstly, Rabbit, you're in _my _bed," he corrected her, replacing his vest and back brace. Bane looked instantly more comfortable now that it was on him. He began working on getting his boots on as he continued to speak. "Secondly, like I said, you were suffering mild hypothermia, and the easiest way to return your body temperature to normalcy was skin to skin contact."

He stood up, crossing his arms over his chest, and stared at her.

"Unfortunately, I believe that your immune system was compromised during the experience and prolonged contact with me caused you to pick up some sort of virus, possibly the flu," he looked down at her unhappily. "I must have been a carrier and infected you."

"Thanks," she croaked. Her throat was as sore as the rest of her. "Thanks a lot for that."

He was completely unaffected by her attitude, and it irritated that he was so unruffled. She'd just woken up in the most bizarre situation, and she wanted some kind of acknowledgement of it.

"Stay in bed and rest, I will return to you shortly," he said firmly before leaving the room. Riley wanted to get up and contradict him, but her head pounded. She decided to just lay down for a moment to get herself centered, but the moment she laid to rest, she found herself drifting off.

* * *

When she awoke again, she noted that she had clothes on. She must have slept heavily for him to dress her. Riley could remember dreaming about the night he bathed her and the way he'd taken off her clothes. She thought it was only just a dream, but she understood now that there were some real world aspects to it. She sat up, feeling just awful as she did before.

There was rustling and clattering outside the room. Curious and determined to get out of his bed, she stepped out of the warm covers on shaky legs. A dizzy spell overtook her, and she had to lean against the wall until her vision cleared. Riley hobbled out of the room like a fawn on fresh legs until she found the source of the sound.

She thought seeing Bane treat her injuries was a sight to stun her, but it didn't stack up to seeing him puttering around the kitchen. There was the smell of soup and tea in the air, and she thought he looked absolutely strange and creepy doing something so domestic. His hands were supposed to be weapons to kill not used to fix her up a tray to take to her sickbed.

"Am I dreaming still?"

The questioned tumbled out of her lips before she even thought it. Bane paused his ministrations to look at her with that same damnable amused look.

"You should be in bed, Rabbit."

"Did I fall down the rabbit hole?"

"You can hardly stand. Return to bed at once, or I will be forced to take you there myself."

His tone was firm, brokering no challenge. She acquiesced with the justification that she _wanted_ to lie down not because he ordered her too.

Bane joined her several minutes later with the tray in his hands. Riley had been curled up pitifully in bed underneath the covers, trying her best not to look pitiful at all.

"So fucking weird," she mumbled a she watched him from her little hidey-hole in the sea of blankets.

"Someday, you will learn gratitude," he chided her exasperatedly. He ordered her to sit up and rested the tray in her lap. There was tomato soup in a bowl along with some toast. A mug of hot tea sat in the corner next to two pills. Bane moved to seat himself next to her, reaching for the spoon. Riley beat him to it, grabbing it determinedly.

"I know how to use a spoon," she barked hoarsely at him, holding the spoon almost protectively to her. "I'm not completely helpless."

He said nothing to her, only raising his eyebrow to her in response.

Slowly, she began to eat the food he prepared for her. All the food she received had always been made. Riley realized that she never saw how it was made. For all she knew, he had some poor chef captive to cook all their meals. She ate in silence, eating most of the soup and a few nibbles of the dry toast.

The hot liquid of the tea and soup was a merciful relief on her scratchy throat. The entirety of her meal, Bane watched her in silence. Having his eyes upon her the whole time was unnerving, and when she had enough of it, she snapped at him.

"Knock it off."

"That's a strange way to say thank you."

"I'm not going to say thank you," she shot back stubbornly. The food and rest reenergized her, and though she felt awful, Riley could feel some of her wits return to her.

"Why not?" he asked with a genuinely curious and interested expression. "I've taken care of you throughout the night, warming your body with mine, and now I bring you food and medicine to treat your ailment. Does that not achieve gratitude out of you?"

"Okay, again, we go back to the fact that it's your fault I'm in like this," she retorted bitterly. Riley wasn't through with her answer. She turned to meet his intent gaze head on with the best glare that she could muster in her current state. "Not only that, but you're trying to Stockholm me."

Inwardly, Bane was impressed at how quickly she'd caught on especially since she was suffering from illness. He was intrigued a well because she knew his ploy, but that didn't mean he was going to stop it. After learning how lonely she really was, he was set on the course of winning her trust over through her affections.

He set about his day with the matters he needed to attend to, and when he felt he had enough accomplished, he left Barsad with an explicit set of instructions for the rest of the day. He used his resources to gather medicine for her, returning to the condo to take care of his pet. While she slept like the dead, he dressed her in clean clothes to soothe her panic about being nude before him and set to work on fixing her a meal.

He'd seen the effect kindness from his behalf had on her. She had accepted it, falling for it, for awhile before her intelligence kicked in.

Bane was confident he could win that out of her again. All he had to do was be persistent. Riley needed to learn and accept that there was no one else in this world that would care for her like he did, and when she did, she would be wholly his.

"I'm not going to fall for it," she said, breaking him out of his reverie. She was such a fierce little creature, and he knew that he chose well for a pet even for all the headaches and annoyances she caused him.

"Take your medicine and rest," he responded mildly, refusing to acknowledge her accusations. Before she could argue against taking the medicine, he quickly added on. "It's simply acetaminophen to ease your aches and fever."

She huffed at him, refusing the medicine with another glare.

"Take it, Rabbit. I would hate to force it upon you while you're fragile," he threatened her firmly, reminding her how he'd forced her first meal on her. Riley resisted some moments longer before cowing to his order much to her displeasure. She took the pills, swallowing it down with a drink of tea.

"That's my good girl," he encouraged her, smirking beneath his mask. His reward for that particular comment was a nasty glare. Bane chuckled at her, taking the tray and leaving her alone.

Irately, she curled up in her cocoon of covers and tried to rest. The sooner she healed up, the sooner she could be more difficult and work on reestablishing herself. Riley hadn't expected the punishment of being thrown out into the cold, but at least now she knew that he was willing to get creative with punishments for her. She was just beginning to drift off when she felt him settle down next to her. Her head peeked out from beneath the covers to glare at him balefully.

"What are you doing now?" she asked, tiredly and with much exasperation.

"I plan on reading if that's perfectly alright with you," he informed her amiably, waving the novel before her. Her fatigued eyes made out the title, _East of Eden._ Bane rested against the headboard of the bed and stretched his legs out comfortably before him, and settled in.

"Don't you have something better to do?" she snapped with her biting sarcasm, the effect only lightly dulled by her sickness. "Whatever it is mad men that ruin cities do during the day? Kill people and strike terror into the hearts of children?"

Bane chuckled in response as he opened the book to begin reading. Placidly, he answered, "Even mad men can take the day off, Rabbit."

Riley let out a disgusted groan at his sudden kindness. No, it wasn't kindness. It was the absence of his true cruel nature.

A traitorous thought reminded her of how he looked the night before when he looked at Talia. There hadn't been an ounce of cruelness in his expression. He looked so fallibly human.

She shoved that image away and focused on guarding herself against him. He was trying to manipulate her, and they both knew it. She wasn't going to give in to it. She muttered a curse at him before she curled away to get some rest.

* * *

Bane spent the rest of the day in seeming leisure. He poured over the novel, enjoying Steinbeck's prose. His main objective was keeping an eye on Riley. She knew what was trying to do to her, and that made her even more determined to fight against it. He thought her stubbornness to be good sporting. She was a challenge, and he always did enjoy overcoming the greatest of challenges.

Unfortunately for her, it was easy to lash back against cruelty and mistreatment. It was much harder to do that with kindness. She dozed in a curled up ball near him, shifting about during her slumber. No matter how much she wanted to fight him, something inside of her was attracted to him or at the very least his warmth. Inevitably her chilled, feverish body sought his body heat, and she curled up against him like a kitten. Her head rested in his lap, and he took to stroking her hair, further laying down the groundwork for her to feel a sort of bond towards him.

He needed to cultivate this connection between them, make it stronger, until she was his. Once she gave herself completely over to him, he would have utter control over her. The mere thought of breaking her spirit like that made him grin, and it was the sort of grin that matched the frightening, predatory maw of his mask.

He continued to read the novel and stroke her hair until she stirred. He could sense her confusion upon waking up, and he could pinpoint the exact moment that her awareness flooded her senses because she bit out a curse.

"You're petting me," she stated. Her tone was sleepy but vexed.

"It appears that I am," Bane responded as he continued to read. He was a fast reader, enjoying the written word with the utmost passion. The novel might be thick and intimidating to those of lesser intelligence, but for him, it wasn't enough.

"Why?"

He chuckled at her as he turned the page.

"Because you wanted to be pet," he answered her evenly, "At least, I assume you do, Rabbit, since you sought the comfort of my lap."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

Riley remained where she was because even though she hated him for doing it, there was a part of her that enjoyed it. Everyone enjoying having their head stroked, and she was reminded of kinder, gentler hands brushing through her hair instead of the callous and rough fingers that raked through it now. She was in that sleepy little in between of consciousness and slumber, hovering precariously from one state to the other. It didn't help that she enjoyed the comfort and relaxation that he brought to her

"Stop trying to ingratiate yourself towards me," she huffed from her where she laid. "I told you, it won't work."

Bane was smart enough to not address her accusation. The drowsiness in her voice told him that this was his best chance to slip into the chinks of her armor and sneak his way into her.

"Have you ever read _East of Eden_?" he asked her conversationally, continuing to stroke her head. It had a calming effect on her, no matter how angrily she snarked and barked at him.

There was pause, and he wondered if she'd fallen asleep.

"Once. In school," she answered him finally. "All I remember is that there's a whorehouse, and the mother is terrible. It's better than that rabbit book you had laying around."

Bane was pleased that she'd taken the bait of conversation and pressed on, "You didn't enjoy _Watership Down?_"

"It's not that I didn't enjoy it. I just have a preference for the kind of stories I read."

"Like novels about whorehouses?"

Riley could hear the laughter in his tone, and she moved her slightly to peer up at him petulantly through bleary eyes.

"Watch your mouth. Steinbeck is a great writer."

"I've never argued otherwise. I find his work to be scintillating, particularly the novel's exploration of depravity and one's capacity of self-destruction."

She hummed noncommittally in response, closing her eyes to settle back down.

"I imagine you enjoy the Biblical parallels."

"Why's that?" she questioned, her voice a little muffled against his thighs.

"You were praying in the snow before I brought you in," he intimated to her, taking a break from his reading to look down at her. "I never took you to be one of the faithful."

"I'm not," she replied simply. Riley didn't elaborate further, and Bane smartly didn't push her. He understood that they were on precarious ground with one another, and the fact that he was engaging her in civil conversation was progress. It bode well for his plan for her.

Bane was just another step closer to breaking Riley Watson.

His eyes dropped back to the words printed on the page, coiling a strand of her dark hair around his fingers. "Would you like me to read to you?"

"Hmph."

It was a soft, lethargic rebuff that he didn't listen to. Clearing his throat, he began to read while stroking her head like the loyal little pet she would soon become. She may not realize it now, but she accepted the gesture freely even though he was confident she would justify her toleration of it with her sickness.

His voice was rich and melodious as he read to her. Bane, as much as she hated to admit it, had an enthralling voice. He was deep into the novel, and her sleepy mind focused only mostly focus on the sound of his voice than what he was saying. In her drowsy state of mind, his voice reminded her heated dark chocolate, rich and thick. Between that and the petting, she felt herself succumbing into sleep once more. The last thing she remembered him reading was a phrase that stuck with her unconsciously for the several months to come.

"'And the men who come to you here with their ugliness, the men in the pictures — you don't believe those men could have goodness or beauty in them. You see only one side, and you think — more than that, you're sure — that's all there is.'"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Another long chapter! This chapter really ran away with me, and I spent hours worrying over it because of Bane's portrayal. Yes, I know he's much nicer here, but it's part of a more devious plan so don't fret! I know many of you are fans of him when's rough and harsh, but this is necessary to nurture the Stockholm Syndrome. After all, there can't be a romance between them if I can't bring them together to have a civil conversation! This is like a chess match between the two of them as they both try to strategize and play to essentially read Riley's soul. In the next chapter, I plan on exploring more of the Stockholm effects on Riley as she tries to fight it while also laying down the Lima Syndrome for Bane. She's beginning to see him more than a monster much to her chagrin, but for this relationship to work, he needs to begin seeing her as more than just a pet.

A note about a few things: The Latin phrase on Riley's arm '___semper ad meliora' _means 'always towards better things' which, like Bane noticed, is contrast to the opposing phrase '_of things despaired'_. The latter is a phrase from a prayer to St. Jude, the patron saint of the hopeless. I think these tattoos speak very loudly of Riley's character and what she has been through. Also, I did take some liberties with Riley's hypothermia and flu, using the warm skin to skin contact trope in order to facilitate a more physical connection between them. As for the literary references, I hadn't intended to include Steinbeck's _East of Eden_, but the last line is such a perfect quote that speaks really well of what is to come in the rest of the story.

And now finally to end this long rambling note, I'd like to again say thank you to all those who took the time to read, favorite, follow and review my work. You are some truly beautiful people! I'd like to give special thanks to: _**Mana Black, anoni, bookluvr888, xohwowlovelyx,**_and_** Decepticon-silverstreak**  
_for their wonderful song ideas for this story! I'd also like to thank _**chemicallyattracted** _for encouraging me to get through this chapter even when it good too difficult.

The songs I like to listen to while writing include:

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey  
Power & Control - Marina & the Diamonds  
Starring Role - Marina & the Diamonds  
Wonderland - Natalia Kills  
Protection - Massive Attack  
Safe From Harm - Massive Attack  
Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge  
The Difference Between Us - The Dead Weather

I have quite a few others, but htose have the most plays on my playlist. I hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you think! Don't forget to share your feedback with me in a review. :) Until next time!


	10. But Don't Tell Me

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Ten: But Don't Tell Me**

* * *

As Riley healed, so did her ego.

She was a little ashamed to admit to herself later that she'd gotten too comfortable. It was easy for her to get used to Bane's sudden change in a nature. While she knew it all to be a farce, a front to get her to succumb to whatever game he was trying to play with her, she had to acknowledge just a little bit that it made her captivity a little more pleasant.

As pleasant as being owned by another person could get anyway.

Bane continued to tend to her, helping her through her sickness. It was unsettling at first, but she was too tired and sick to really fight against him. He fed her, read to her, and if she didn't know better, she might have thought he was a really upstanding gentleman.

Unfortunately, she did know better, and as she returned to a healthy state of body and mind, her mouth got the best of her. Riley believed that she was above punishment now that he was trying to instill Stockholm Syndrome in her. He'd tolerated her sass and insolence with a reproachful look, and she could tell that she was trying his patience.

It was like tugging on the tiger's tail, waiting to see when he would strike.

She didn't have to wait long.

It was a few days after she'd recuperated, and she was seated in one of the arm chairs with _East of Eden_. Much to her chagrin, he'd gotten her attention whenever he read to her while she was sick. Riley hated letting him read to her, and now that she was well enough to do it on her own, she'd taken it upon herself to read the book from the beginning.

Bane was at the door, discussing plans with his right hand Barsad. Riley hadn't interacted with the man much since Bane kept her largely to himself. She'd seen him around at times, but he often out doing whatever henchmen did. Barsad might have been handsome in another life, but the one he'd chosen for himself gave him a hard, dangerous edge, and it shone in his eyes that made her feel a little uneasy.

"Tend to it, brother, and share your findings with me in the morning," Bane said, his voice rich and booming. He clasped Barsad's shoulder firmly, and they shared a meaningful look. Out of all the people she'd seen him interact with, Barsad received the warmest treatment aside from Talia. Riley didn't count herself in that grouping since none of the kindness he'd shown her was sincere.

They were locked in a game, and since she had an even head on her shoulders again, she felt like she was winning.

"That's right, Barsad," Riley drawled unkindly from her curled up spot. She hadn't taken her eyes off the novel in her lap, having looked occupied for much of the meeting between the two men. She missed the way both their heads whipped towards her when she began to speak. "Go do Master's bidding, and maybe when you get back, he'll get you a collar as pretty as mine."

There was silence before they resumed their business and farewells. She felt protected. Even though she'd goaded Barsad, her intention had been to irritate Bane by undermining him in front of his own inferiors. Barsad couldn't do much to her since she was the Boss' pet, and Bane was trying to garner trust and affection out of her. She felt untouchable, and the smirk that curved on her lips said so.

Riley assumed she got away with her snide comment. She was faintly aware of the door closing, and this time, she was getting caught up in the novel in earnest. Her arrogance and distractedness was her downfall.

He moved with the silence and liquid grace of a big cat stalking its prey, and just as she was reading about Cathy become Kate, she felt an explosion of pain spread across her jaw. Startled and a little dazed, her hand whipped to her face as tried to figure out what just happened. Looking up, she saw Bane standing before her with a steely glare pinning her down.

"I've been lenient with you, Rabbit, but I will not tolerate your blatant disregard of my authority especially not in front of my men," he growled down at her darkly. His hand curled around her neck to haul her up towards him, and she gasped and struggled against his hold. "Learn to behave yourself or else I will have to punish you accordingly."

He tossed her back to the chair as if she was a ragdoll, and she was rubbing her neck after all the pressure he placed there. Bane stalked away to the privacy of his room, shutting the door behind him. Riley was left alone with her thoughts and her fallen book. Curling up in the seat, she was stunned at the sudden act of violence towards her. The fury in his eyes and the exertion of his strength against her was like an ice cold wake-up call, and for the first time since they began this twisted relationship, she felt fear creep back inside of her where all her confidence had gotten cracked from the sudden return of physical abuse.

There was that prickly itch in the back of her throat as her eyes welled up with tears. Furiously, she scrubbed them away before they fell, but they were only replaced by fresh ones. This game, this life she had with Bane now, it was taking a toll on her psyche. It was difficult to constantly be strong around him, to remain inaccessible and unconquerable.

In her sudden wave of weakness, Riley wanted what any sane person wanted whenever they felt like they reached the very bottom. She wanted her mother. They had no contact since Riley cut herself off from her former life, relinquishing her name for a new one, but there had been small, tiny moments when she wanted her mother to fix the hurts that she could not. A mother's touch always had that uncanny ability to do that even if her mother had been deeply flawed.

'Did Bane have a mother?' she wondered to herself. He had to have had one in order to come into this world, but had there been a woman who soothed his hurts and reassured him? It was difficult at times to see him as human though their interaction over the past few days was slowly remedying that. There was a person beneath the mask and the dangerous exterior, but whether or not it was the person he showed to her when he was being kind was up for debate.

Still, thinking on Bane as a child was almost laughable, and the hysterical image of a child version of him with the grotesque contraption on his face distracted her from the ache in her jaw. It also spurned on another question.

What did he look like beneath it? Was he disfigured? Riley knew well enough that he needed it for some reason. She wasn't sure what it did for him exactly, but it was a necessity to him since she never saw him without it.

Shaking her head, a movement she regretted, she decided that she was thinking too much on her captor. Sleep would put her back in the right state of mind, and it would hopefully build up her confidence once more.

* * *

Bane noticed a considerable difference in Riley after he struck her. No longer was his little pet sitting on a throne of overconfidence around him now that he'd reminded her just how things were between them. He was determined to indoctrinate her with affection towards him, but he also had to lay down the law with her. If he continued to let her run loose and wild with that sort of attitude, she lost her value as a pet.

He was amused by her now. Her tone and words were still quite a bit saucy with him, but he could see that she was much guarded now. Riley was trying to learn some kind of baseline with him as she tried to figure out what would bring him to punish her.

"Your jaw is looking better," he told her one evening a few nights after he disciplined her. He strolled into the condo in a pleasant mood. Barsad had brought him quite a few traitors to the cause, the ones that had thrown their weight in with Gordon, and they had taken care of those nuisances quite nicely. Bane was still on a rush from their success. He found Riley standing at the door to the balcony, looking outside with an expression of longing.

Ever since he forced her outside to endure the cold, she'd been less than enthusiastic about sitting on the balcony. He hadn't taken her out on one of their walks yet since she was still recuperating, but he was in a jovial mood to treat her to one now.

"Come along, Rabbit. Let us go for a walk. The fresh air will do you well," he called to her, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat as he waited for her. Bane half-expected her to put up a fight, but she conceded and joined him a few moments later. He watched as she dressed herself in her winter clothes. Riley was almost swimming in all her layers, and he could tell that experience he put her through lingered in her mind.

His hand went to the small of her back to steer her before him, and he was pleased when she didn't stiffen at his touched like she used to. She was growing accustomed to him.

By the time they made it out on the sidewalks, walking the familiar path they'd taken to during their strolls, he noticed that she hadn't said a word. Usually his pet was full of sharp barbs or at the very least, sarcastic remarks especially about the state that Gotham was in. Riley walked a few steps of him, ever conscious of the way he loomed behind her like a shadow. Bane allowed her the little freedom since he was confident that she wouldn't try anything.

"What burdens your mind, little one?" he asked her curiously, genuinely interested in was what causing the sudden shift in her demeanor.

Riley kept on walking as if she hadn't heard the question at all when he knew very well that he spoke loudly and clearly enough for her to understand him. Just as Bane was about to chastise her for her discourtesy towards him, she abruptly stopped. The suddenness of her halt had him stopping short and he moved to stand in front of her to study her. She was staring at the ground with such an intense expression.

When she looked up at him to finally speak, he was taken back at her question.

"What's the mask for?" she questioned him evenly. There was no demand in her tone or even a sense of harshness to her, only the genuine need for knowledge. Bane was silent at first, studying her expression. He could empathize with the desire for knowledge, and he could this question had been weighing on her for quite some time.

"Hm," he said finally. His hands moved to grip his vest, a familiar, comfortable position. "If I indulge you in this request then I expect you return the courtesy in kind. With honesty, do you understand me?"

Bane glanced over at her with a piercing stare, and Riley looked chagrined. Finally, she sighed and relented with a nod. He began walking again with his pet scrambling to keep up with him.

"Have you ever heard of Santa Prisca?" he asked her conversationally as they walked together. He could the look of confusion on her face without even looking at her.

"No, but what does that─," she began before he cut her off.

"I was a prisoner there, serving a life sentence. They called the prison, a hell really, Peña Dura, but we all called it the Pit," he continued. The way he told it to her was like a story as if it had happened to someone else and not to Bane himself. Riley was tempted to interrupt again, but she was offered an insight into this mad man. She couldn't resist but let Pandora's Box open wider to see what all it contained.

"One day, I chose to help another prisoner escape, and for my compassion, I was swallowed up by the rioting and mass violence. The result was damages that could never quite be healed," Bane explained to her. The honesty he shared with her was to gain her trust. He couldn't expect her to connect with him unless he made some sort of attempts with her, and he needed it to be genuine to make the ruse all the more believable. "I am in a constant state of pain, and my mask offers me the only relief in the form analgesic gas. The mask serves a dual purpose. It offers me alleviation of the pain, and it offers me an identity. They remember me best of all with this mask.

I am what they fear the most. I am the embodiment of their basest impulses, the darkest part of human nature. When they see me, they cannot escape it not when I stare them straight in the eye and force them to accept this as who they are."

Bane spoke frankly, and he looked down at her to read her opinion. He learned from their discussion over their shared passion for novels that they often differed in opinion, and he learned this strongest of all whenever they discussed _East of Eden. _

Riley chewed along her bottom lip as she allowed his words to wash over her. There was that instinct to argue against him, to laud the greatness that humanity could be, but she'd been powerfully jaded since Gotham fell. Everywhere around her, she'd only seen people only fight for their own survival or worse, throw someone else under the bus just because they could.

There weren't any shining examples of a human being now, and she wasn't naïve enough to think that she could be one of them. She was just as flawed as the rest of them, but she kept to a code of morals and justifications that helped her sleep at night. It was okay for her to kill the man that raped Missy because he was a rapist. It was okay to shoot those who threatened her or her successful food drops because it was for the greater good.

She was realizing that no matter how she dressed it up, her hands were still as bloodstained as the rest of them.

Her mind jumped to the show trials held near the heart of the city, where people were sentenced to death. It made her shiver beneath her heavy fur-lined coat.

"Have you no protest to that, Rabbit?" he asked her, his voice oddly gentle. Bane could see the conflicting emotions on her expression, and he wanted to badly to know what was running through her mind and how she was working though this moral crisis.

He was reaching in to that part of her that was hers and hers alone, and she reacted instinctively. Riley made a split-second decision. She didn't want him rifling through those thoughts not when she felt vulnerable enough to share those thoughts with him.

"You have a question for me, so ask it," she snapped with familiar fire. She would much rather answer whatever question he had in mind for her than let him into the inner workings of her mind like that.

To his credit, he didn't look displeased as the sudden shift in conversation. Bane was amused, but let it go in order to proceed with his desire for knowledge.

"You wear a necklace with a ring on it," he stated, and he was delighted at the way her frame grew taut at his line of questioning. "Does that have to do with Michael?"

Riley stopped and whipped her head towards her. The fire in her smoldered and reared up, ready to scald him at a moment's notice. "Where did you hear that name?" she demanded angrily.

"From you," Bane answered her coolly, but his eyes were gleaming with relentless entertainment. He was taking great pleasure in sharing this information with her. "When you were under the effects of hypothermia, you mistook me for him, and I must say that I've never seen you so affectionate. You took right to me like a cat to cream."

Her fists clenched tight, and he half-expected her to swing on him. A part of him almost hoped that she would. Instead, she worked on controlling her heavy breathing with deep, even breaths. There was a hot, angry flush to the apples of her cheeks that he knew had nothing to do with the cold.

"You owe me an answer, do not forget," he reminded her smugly. "I shared a part of me to you, and now it's only fair for you to do the same."

Her lips curled into a snarl, and he caught a flash of teeth in the angry expression. Bane wanted to laugh, but knew better than to do so. It would only further enrage her, causing her to do something needlessly stupid. He'd never get his answer that way. Ever since she spoke the name of this faceless man to him, his mind had been wracked with curiosity, and he felt that familiar surge of possessiveness rise through him.

She began walking again, trying to compose herself, and she only stared forward when she finally spoke.

"Michael was a boyfriend," she answered him. Riley felt ridiculous calling him that when he'd been so much more. He'd been hers, just as she'd been his. There had been other men after him, but nothing that lasted. Michael possessed her in a way that she couldn't escape from nor did she really want to.

"A boyfriend? How charming," Bane commented, unable to get that dig in. He was reward with a sharp glare before she returned to staring straight ahead.

"He passed away," she said stiffly. "Eight years ago when the hospital exploded."

There was a thoughtful silence from Bane, and she was surprised when he didn't make some kind of flippant remark.

"And the ring?"

"He was going to marry me. I was going to have his baby," Riley answered with a twist of bitterness to her words. Unconsciously, her arms wrapped around her mid-section.

"But he died."

"He died."

Bane reached out to grab her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop and face him. She resolutely looked away from him. He tilted her chin upwards, only to have her gaze cut away. There was an old pain in her eyes that she was trying to hide from, and he could almost trace the way it crawled along her features like stubborn ivy.

For the first time, he found her attractive. There was a thorny beauty to her pain, this true pain. It wasn't the pain he caused her from violence or possession. This was a pain that struck deeper, resonated louder, and he was beguiled by it.

Riley wasn't innocent, not by any means. Only Talia knew how much he valued pure innocence. He thought he saw that in Riley that first evening, but on a closer inspection, he saw much more to her than that. She'd seen much throughout her life, and she carried a burden with her that she refused to relinquish.

"How curious," he murmured to himself. Her protective instinct kicked in, and she jerked away from him. She continued walking down the sidewalk, and he watched her with a contemplative look. It was another layer peeled away from her, and he finding a different person beneath. He hadn't expected that.

Riley stopped short, attracted to a noise she heard in an alleyway. She went towards it, and he rolled his eyes at her carelessness. He thought that she would learn by now that alleyways usually meant trouble for women like her.

Bane moved to catch up with her, and when he found his pet, she was crouched down near a pile of refuse that shivered.

"How many times have I told you to be more mindful of your actions?" he scolded her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shh," she scolded right back. Other than that, Riley ignored his presence and reached out to pull away the trash. Peeling away the newspaper and cardboard, she found a trembling kitten mewling pitifully. She murmured softly and soothingly to the pathetic creature, gathering it against her to offer her heat.

Bane was treated to another side of her that he'd yet to have the pleasure of seeing. There was a sweet expression on her face, a flash of maternal instinct, and a little bit of adoration. He watched as Riley cradled the kitten to her to quiet its cries and shivers.

He didn't want to do it. It was ridiculous to give a pet a pet of her own.

Still, he had to admit to himself that her behavior today deserved a reward. In order to continue on this path with her, Bane needed to give her some positive reinforcement.

"If you're quite finished, Rabbit, we should return home," he said gruffly as he strode from the alley towards the way they came. "Gather your mangy animal, and let's go."

With his back towards her, Bane completely missed the look of awe and hesitant delight on Riley's face.

* * *

She ended up naming the kitten Fiver, much to Bane's surprise.

"I thought you hated that book," he told her when she informed him of his name. The kitten served another purpose, he found. It gave Riley something to keep her occupied during the day which made a little less irritable with him. She was distracted by the pet, and he could tell that she was sincerely happy with it.

"I never said I hated it. I said I didn't care for it," she argued with a huff from her position on the floor. Fiver was a tiny ball of black and white fur, a boy. Riley had corrected him hotly when he called him a 'she'. "Besides, he's little and smart. Reminds me of Fiver."

"Fiver was a rabbit," he pointed out, a fact that she only addressed with a careless shrug.

"And I'm a human, but you insist on calling me Rabbit," she countered, "We can't all get what we want, now can we?"

Her argument made him smirk. He really did enjoy her wit whenever she wasn't being completely agitating.

Fiver was a little bit of light in Riley's life. It surprised her when Bane had allowed her to keep the kitten, but she chalked it up to him trying to win favor with her. Either way, she was actually happy with the little concession. The kitten brought some excitement to her day. It kept her busy. There was only so much reading and dancing she could do to keep herself occupied.

It took quite a bit of work to nurse the kitten to health. She had no idea how long he'd been out in the cold, but he was several weeks old from what she could gather. All her time was spared tending to him, and she was proud of herself when Fiver didn't die outright. He was a survivor just like she was, and she felt a sense of maternal pride when he made it through those shaky days of recovery. Although she didn't ask, Bane brought her the things to take care for the cat, and she hated the way she felt touched by the gesture.

She had to steel herself against those emotions because that meant his ploy was working. The moment she gave in to those thoughts, the moment she became his.

"He's certainly lively today," Bane commented one evening after Riley had finished her dinner. Fiver gained spirit as he regained his healthy, and he was often scrambling throughout the condo to his heart's content. She watched, displeased, as he rubbed himself against Bane's leg, feeling a little betrayed. She would have to have a little talk with Fiver later, hopefully getting it through his furry little head that Bane was the enemy here.

"I see that," she bit out unhappily as she went to wash the dishes. His rumbling laughter followed her, amused by her disapproval. He could hear her in the kitchen, cleaning with more force and noise than necessary, and when she returned to join him and her cat, her scowl only deepened.

Bane was gently rubbing Fiver's belly, and the kitten was purring and twitching happily beneath his touch. The expression on her face was priceless, and he soaked it in.

"Jealous, Rabbit?" he teased her, unable to resist getting her temper up. Riley sputtered and glowered before grabbing _East of Eden_ to make herself comfortable on the opposite side of the room. She proceeded to ignore the both of them in order to read, but he could feel her staring at them from the corner of her eye.

"As a child, I once had a teddy bear," he said suddenly as he coddled the kitten. This exchange of information had worked once before, and he was curious to see if it would again. "Osito, I called him. He was given to me by my mother before her death, and he came in handy. I used him to hide a knife in the event anyone ever attacked me."

That tidbit of information caught her attention, and Riley looked up at him with knitted brows and an expression of bewilderment.

"What kind of fucked up childhood did you have?"

He looked up at her to meet her gaze, ceasing his rubbing. Fiver mewled in protest, shoving his body against the fingers that were still outstretched.

"I told you, I was imprisoned in the Pit, Rabbit," he reminded her with a snort. "You're much too young for your memory to be faulting you already."

"No, I knew that," she said with a dismissive wave. Riley frowned as she thought about it before adding, "I just. . . I didn't know you were locked up since then."

"I was but a child when I was sentenced."

The revelation didn't sit well with her as she shifted in her seat.

"Why would anyone sentence a child to life in prison?"

"My father was the one guilty, and when he escaped their clutches, I was forced to serve in his place."

Riley didn't like the way he spoke matter of factly. Perhaps it was all just fact to him now, but it unsettled her to think of a child in a prison, a dangerous one at that. Before, she couldn't imagine Bane as a child, but he was giving her more pieces to put together. Her imagination created a child, still grasping at the last straws of innocence, with a bear in hand as he tried to learn how to survive the Pit.

She didn't have a very good reply to that. In any normal circumstances, she might have been sympathetic and comforting, and she fought against those instinctive urges. Regardless of Bane's history, the man he was today couldn't all be blamed on the misfortune of his past.

"And now you," he goaded her frankly. He leaned back in his arm chair, studying her. Fiver was unhappy with the sudden lack of attention, and when he no longer received it from Bane, he returned to his mistress. Riley gave him a pointed look when he jumped up to join her in her seat, but she couldn't resist petting him once he curled in her lap.

"And now me what?"

"I shared a truth with you, and now you must pay me back."

She looked at him disbelievingly before pointing out, "I didn't ask you too."

"No, but I shared it all the same. You made a deal with me, Rabbit. Do not renege now."

Riley remained quiet, focusing instead on petting Fiver who purred and wriggled at her attention.

"I like to dance," she answered him, and even she was surprised with herself for sharing something she kept so intimately to herself. Unbeknownst to her, Bane was already aware thanks to his research on her.

"What kind of dance?" he pressed.

"Any really," she shrugged her shoulders. "Ballet, most of all, I guess. My mother got me into it when I was a kid."

At the mention of her mother, Riley immediately clammed up. She seemed to have realized that she overstepped a line she had drawn for herself, and she pointedly ended the conversation at that. She returned to reading and petting Fiver.

It wasn't what Bane expected, but gained valuable insight into her. For one, she was continuing to be honest with her, a fact that he should reward to encourage this pliant behavior. The second piece of information was more important. She mentioned her family for the first time, and from what he could tell, she was trying to keep that information very close to her chest.

He was creating chinks in her armor, and she wasn't even realizing it.

* * *

The next evening, Bane didn't return to her at all. Although he didn't keep a schedule, Riley usually saw him in the latter part of the night. There were times when he returned earlier or sometimes later. She thought nothing of it at first, contenting herself with the solitude. She had dinner. She read. She spent time playing with Fiver.

She did all of this without one single concern where her captor was. There was even a part of her that maliciously hoped that he finally met his match.

Sometimes she had those little fantasies. Batman was gone. No one had seen or heard from him since before Gotham fell, and no one held out hope that he would return. They were on their own in this hell. That didn't stop her from hoping that maybe one day this regime of terror would be overcome and things would be returned to normal.

When the hour struck the time that she usually retired to bed, he still hadn't returned. She refused to think of it as him coming home because this wasn't home to her, no matter how he facetiously called it that. Riley picked up Fiver and crawled into her bed. Out of childish spite, she left her door wide open instead of closed like he usually kept it. Bane had stopped locking her door, a concession to win her over.

To add fire to the flame, she even removed her collar and tossed it aside on her bedside table. Fiver didn't wear one even though Bane brought her one fit for the kitten. Wearing a collar was stifling, and she wanted her cat to feel the freedom she wasn't allowed.

She was set and ready to go to sleep, but as she laid down and closed her eyes, sleep evaded her. At first, Riley thought she just couldn't get comfortable. Much to Fiver's displeasure, she kept shifting and tossing around in the bed to find the right position to send her to sleep. She could feel the fatigue at the edges of her consciousness, but her mind kept running a mile a minute.

The digital clock on her bedside glowed a soft green in the darkness.

Midnight.

Then one a.m.

Two followed shortly after.

The three o'clock hour passed much slower, and none of the usual tricks to get to sleep helped. Time ticked on, and it was 3:57 when she heard the door open. For the first time, she could hear Bane's footsteps. They were heavy and sluggish.

Riley was going to resolutely ignore him because she didn't care. She was trying to get to sleep which was more important than seeing what he was up to.

Her determination lasted her all of five minutes, and she hauled herself out of bed. She kept telling herself that it was just curiosity. Fiver padded towards the spot she abandoned, curling up in the warmth she left behind.

She found Bane sprawled out on the couch. She'd never seen him so relaxed before although relaxed was a loose term. There was a tension in his frame, and he clutched his shoulder tightly. Crimson was stained down his arm. With his free hand, he shakily moved to his mask as he tended to his mask. The spider legs, as she liked to think of them, were all mostly in the appropriate place, but two of them were a little askew. They were in where they were supposed to be, but she noted that they weren't full engaged properly.

His hand was trembled as he tried to right it.

When he noticed her, they shared a look. He looked at her flatly, and it was clear that he wasn't expecting any help from her.

"Go back to bed, Rabbit," he ordered her darkly, hating the fact that she was seeing him like this. His voice sounded a little off thanks to the problems with his mask.

Riley was tempted. It would be so easy to turn around and leave him there in his pain. She could go back and work on getting some damn sleep finally. Even though he took care of her when she was sick, it was his fault she had been sick in the first place. She didn't owe him a single thing.

It was the look in his eyes that prevented her. She was reminded of what he told her before, that he was the epitome of the darkness in human nature. She thought of all the people in Gotham right now that were trampling one another to get just a little bit closer to stay on top. She thought of all the pain and malevolence that thrummed through Gotham like a heartbeat.

With those thoughts in mind, she crossed the distance between them. Riley firmly shoved his jittery hand away and fixed his mask herself. It took her a few tries to understand how it worked, but in a few moments, she had it righted. The whole time, Bane stared up at her incredulously. He was still staring at her like that when she left him there to retrieve a wash towel to press to his injury.

"Christ, that's a lot of blood," she said distastefully when she got a good look at his wound. It was a deep laceration, a stab wound, she guessed. Riley's first aid knowledge only extended to sterilizing and bandaging. This looked like something that needed stitches. "You should get this checked out. I have a degree in IT, not medicine."

His hand moved to rest over hers to apply more pressure to staunch the bleeding. Riley's eyes were drawn to it, and he noticed how much bigger his hand was over hers.

"Why?" he asked her in a quiet sort of boom. His voice was back to its familiar resonance and timbre, and she felt herself grow a little more comfortable.

"Why what?" she returned flippantly even though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Bane didn't answer. He simply peered at her with unreadable gaze. That single look spoke louder than words he could have possibly spoken.

Riley sighed heavily at him and looked back down to his wound for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders before turning her gaze to his.

"I'm not human to you. I'm just your pet," she explained resignedly. "That means I have to be even more human to make a difference. Not only that, but it doesn't sound like anyone in this town have a shred of decency left. Someone has to start somewhere."

She wasn't sure whether her answer was what he wanted, but he didn't say anything more.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I am deeply sorry for the delay in updating. I wanted to get this out sooner, but it was a hectic weekend for me! This chapter was both fun and difficult to write since I got to explore the dynamics more between Riley and Bane. I hope you guys enjoy the nuances and shifts between them. A quick note about Fiver, Riley took the name from a character in _Watership Down_ in case that confused anyone.

Since you guys seemed to enjoy the songs I use for this story, so I'll include a few more:

Some Nights - Fun.  
Phenomena - Yeah Yeah Yeahs  
Zombie - Natalia Kills  
Oh! Darling - as sung by Florence + the Machine (though the Beatles are quite wonderful in their own right)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please forgive me for any errors. I really do need to go back and edit and proof. I am in great need of a beta reader, so if you're interested, please PM me so we can discuss. Thank you to all my readers for being such great fans and supporting me throughout this story. A big thanks to all those that reviewed, favorited and followed. You're all just tremendous. :) Until next time!


	11. The Loadstone Rock Was Drawing Him

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**WARNING: **This chapter contains torture and mentions of suicide.

**Chapter Eleven: The Loadstone Rock Was Drawing Him**

* * *

There was a strange calm between them after Riley helped him that evening instead of turning her back on him. There was a period of gentle waters that put her on edge at first because she wasn't sure what was going on. Bane hardly paid attention her. There were no attempts in winning her affection, and punishments were few and in between. Honestly, she hardly had the heart to even give cause for punishments.

Riley was weary of this life and what Gotham was like now. This wasn't how life should be. The world was gray and dreary, and it looked like it was all never ending. Hope was a slippery thing to hold on to during this time, and she was glad to have Fiver. Without the playful kitten's company, she had this dreadful that she might attempt to escape in any way possible including the way that included right off the balcony.

She was glad for Bane's disinterest in her, and there was a sick feeling in her that maybe he'd finally become bored with her. She'd catch him staring at her a few times with an unfathomable expression. His gray eyes were deep and penetrating, and she couldn't figure out what was running through his head. She rarely could.

So she did what she could. Riley kept herself occupied, kept to herself, and most of all, she tried to make it day by day. Her original plan of survival was to win him over, to pretend that she was falling underneath his thrall, but she wasn't sure how well that would work now. She thought over it during the long days alone in the condo, and she knew that it would be the only way to keep him from getting bored with her. Boredom meant imminent death. She might hate being his pet, but she was alive.

She hated the way that thought was hardly consolation, and the misery of life now was infecting her. Inky traitorous thoughts infected her mind. After all, even if she miraculously was released or she managed an escape, where would she go? Back to her bunker where Pross knew the location of?

Riley tried to think of the food drops and how happy the people were whenever she brought them the MREs. She remembered now how Pross was supposed to be looking Selina and Missy, but since she hadn't heard any word about them, she assumed he couldn't pin them down. Selina was a wily one, and she had faith that woman managed to go undetected. She hoped that they were still doing the good work.

It had to be the tedium that was making her mind so brutal. Being cooped up with only daily walks and literature could only stimulate her for so long.

She was reminded painfully of how bored she'd been with her life before everything had gone to hell. Her life as a Riley Watson, IT employee for Wayne Enterprises, was a quiet one, and it sometimes made her want to scream with all of its normalcy. There was nothing she passionate about.

She remembered how well that all turned out. Gotham was in ruin. This wasn't what she wanted out life. There was the adrenaline of survival, and she had to admit to herself that in a very sick way, she enjoyed the cat and mouse game between her and Bane. There was something intriguing and exciting about it, and she knew that there was something severely wrong with her for taking some joy out of it.

She just couldn't forget the softness on Bane's face when he held Talia, nor could she forget the strange vulnerability that played across his features when she helped him with his mask. It was something that kept gnawing at the edges of her subconscious, refusing to leave her in peace.

* * *

The kindness, the utter sincerity of it, baffled Bane. His world felt like it had been momentarily shifted off its axis, and he was trying to figure out how to right it. For all intents and purposes, Riley should have let him struggle and remain in pain, but she chose otherwise. He knew better to think that he'd indoctrinated her enough by now to warrant that kind of affection out of her. There was still a rage that burned with her, burning brightly. It drew him like a moth to a flame, but this kindness, this humanity shined even brighter.

It set him off course, throwing him off his usual patterns. His daily dealings were noticeable affected, and word went out that the infamous Bane was distracted by something. He paid no mind to it. No one was brave enough to try him or bring it up to him to his face. If they did, he would show them just how distracted he really was. His mind might have been elsewhere, but his physical strength remained hard and true. It wasn't something that could ever be contested, and everyone knew it.

The one person who had power over him came to him, and to her, he had no arguments.

Talia visited him one evening, a few days after his incident with Riley. She moved like the shadows, joining him in one of the private rooms within the building. Riley was safely tucked away up in the condo they shared, no doubt ruminating at his odd behavior.

"What troubles you, my dearest?" she asked him sweetly from behind. Bane was seated on an ornate couch, and he felt petite arms wrap around his broad shoulders. Talia rested her head affectionately on his shoulder, and her silky dark hair tumbled along his skin.

"Is there something troubling me?" he rumbled against her, deep voice gentle and affectionate. "I had no idea."

Soft lips pressed at his temple before Talia moved to seat herself next to him. She nestled into his side to rest against him, and his arm instinctively wrapped around her.

"There is word on the street, not just among the rogues, but amongst the citizens as well that Bane himself is softening. His reign of terror is weakening," she informed her disapprovingly. He didn't have to look at her to know that she was looking at him with clear displeasure. "Now tell me, what troubles you?"

There was no hiding himself from Talia. In her, he bestowed the most precious part of him, the last shred of goodness left in him. When he saved her in the Pit, he sent that piece of him away with her in the hopes that maybe something good could blossom out of it. She returned for him along with her father to save him from the forgotten. As she grew, he watched with admiration tinged with a little bit of unhappiness as his goodness was buried within her. Talia grew harder and stronger. She was every bit her father's daughter, and he'd never met a woman as formidable as she.

She was his weakness, and he accepted that. For Talia, he would do anything without question including razing a city the ground simply because she wanted it so. Taking Bruce Wayne down to his knees was just an added reward.

"The girl," he answered finally after a brief moment of silence. A troubled, stormy expression crossed his features. "She confounds me. I have been trying to break her for weeks now, trying to indoctrinate her into submission and affection towards me."

"You always did have a talent at breaking people," Talia interjected with admiration, laying her head on his shoulder as he spoke.

"Mm," he said in agreement. She enjoyed the way she could feel his words against her, and she hoped that she could get to the bottom of what troubled him this evening.

"Has she not broken then?"

"Not yet, but that is to be expected. She is stubborn and headstrong. I must strip her layer by layer until I touch the very core of her to make her mine," Bane replied dismissively. That wasn't the problem. He still felt confident that he could break her.

"I do not understand."

Talia looked up at him with a frown. She had allowed him the privilege of the pet as long as it didn't interfere with their plans. She couldn't spend all her time with Bane, having to keep up her façade as Miranda Tate. Now she was beginning to wonder if that was a good idea after all.

"The other evening, I returned late injured with my mask askew. The tubing wasn't correctly in place," he explained to her. Bane stared before him, recalling the events of that night. He told Talia how Riley came to the living room and saw him in his state of weakness. His pet hadn't turned away, not even when he ordered him to. "She came to me, the monster that collared her, and tended to me. I cannot understand what brought her to this kindness, and when I asked, she merely responded that she wanted to be decent and human since I did not see her as one."

The frown on Talia's face deepened until she was scowling. Her distaste for Riley was quickly growing especially now that it was apparently that she was beginning to have some kind of effect on Bane. She needed to nip this problem in the bud before it got out of hand. Bane belonged to her and her alone, and she didn't need this girl to ruin everything she'd built.

"There is your answer, my darling," she cooed to him, brushing fingers along his masked face. "It is but a game, a game that she is learning to best you in. She is manipulating you into feeling sympathy towards her. You must swiftly set your foot down and punish her like the beastling that she is."

There was a look of conflict on Bane's features, and it agitated her how deep Riley's hold had been embedded in him. Talia nuzzled her face against his affectionately, brushing her lips against the shell of his ear.

"You know that I'm right, my dearest friend. Tend to your pet now before she tends to you," she warned him. "She makes you weak. You are not weak, nor shall you ever be. Do not let her make you think otherwise."

Talia left him with that thought as well as another peck to his temple, and she grinned to herself when she saw the way his conflicted expression turned into a cold look of determined rage.

* * *

"Rabbit!" Bane called to Riley when he returned to the condo. There was a lightness in his tone, a cajoling playfulness that put her on edge. She was in her room when she heard him call for her, and she was hesitant to go to him. Slowly, she padded towards him with an uncertain expression. Since she took care of him, she and Bane had all been passing ships in the night, and now he was purposely seeking her out.

When he caught sight of her, his gray eyes lit up with an unadulterated glee that made her fight or flight instincts twitch within her.

"'_Will you walk into my parlour?'_" he teased her, giving her a grandiose bow, _"'Tis the prettiest parlour that ever you did spy.'_"

It was a poem, she knew that well enough. Riley wasn't familiar enough with it. The way he spoke to her made alarms go off in her head, and she took an unconscious step backwards. Belatedly, she knew what was off about his expression. The predatory glint was back in his gaze, and she remembered the last time he looked this. She'd been exposed to the cold, an experience she'd yet to shake.

Her flight instinct kicked in though there wasn't much room for her to run. Bane was immediately on her, and she was wrapped up in his embrace.

"I feel we must return to the fundamentals and teach you your proper place in life, Rabbit," he told her, holding her close to his chest. "For a moment, I forgot my objective to break you, and it is time I remedy that."

The anger flared up in her as she glared up at him. "What? The riding crop again? Or are we going to go for hypothermia round two?"

Riley couldn't see it, but she could almost sense him grinning down at her.

She struggled every step of the way as he tugged her along outside towards the balcony. The temperature was in the low thirties, and she shirked at the cold. Bane wasted no time in stripping her of her top, leaving her only in her bra. Shivering against the cold, she bucked and fought against him as she bound her hands to the railings. Riley had an excellent view of the ground before her. It was a long way down.

"Okay, so the cold it is," she growled at him, tugging fruitlessly at her bindings. The tag of her collar fluttered at the hollow of her neck, and the metal felt painfully cold against her skin.

"Am I so predictable to you, Rabbit?" Bane asked almost mockingly. There was a crack in the air, and Riley felt excruciating pain when the cat o' nine tails bit into her exposed back. Immediately, angry red welt roses on the flesh of her back, hardly soothed by the freezing cold.

"Much more efficient than the riding crop, don't you think?" he continued on amiably. The whip cracked through the air once more to land on her back, causing another squeal of pain out of her. "It's already silenced your saucy mouth, an improvement."

The riding crop didn't compare to the cat o' nine tails especially since Bane was exerting force on her. He continued to strike her several times over, and she could feel blood beading and collecting as the skin began to lacerate.

"Why?" she demanded weakly, shivering from pain and cold. Her whole body was trembling, and at this point, she was clutching the railing in order to stay upright.

"I do not answer to you, Rabbit," he snarled at her furiously. He spat at the name he bestowed upon her as if it were poisonous on his tongue The whip made contact again. Another scream of pain. "You are beneath, and it is time you remember that."

Tears dripped down her face, leaving an icy trail. Each lash burned worse than the last. The freezing cold and the pain made her mind heady with delirium, and she wasn't sure when all of this would finally cease.

Bane whipped her twice more before the punishment finally ending. He untied her from her post, and her body sagged against the railing. Tossing her shirt at her carelessly at her, he growled out, "Remember your place, Rabbit, or from now on, I will be quick to remind you of it."

* * *

The game pieces were re-set. The rules kept changing on Riley, and she was usually good about keeping up with Bane's game. This one had her reeling for a bit. His about face caught her off guard, and she hadn't expected him to return to his harsh punishments. This was different. It wasn't like the riding crop. This was like the exposure. There was a genuine rage in him towards her, and she knew it was all because of the kindness she'd shown.

She spent that first evening shivering and cringing in pain in the warmth of her bed, trying to wrap her mind around this new development. Everything had been uprooted, and she was trying desperately to make up some sort of plan. It felt like she was scrambling to stay upright in a world that no longer made sense. It wasn't hard of a leap. Her world had stopped making sense a long time ago. Fiver nestled against her chest, the only comfort she had.

It only made sense that her next punishment would be to take the cat away from her. Bane knew how attached she was to the animal. One morning, he watched how the two interacted. He could see the joy she took in having the animal, and he promptly grabbed the kitten by its scruff and took it with him upon leaving. Riley had fought and argued furiously against him, following him to the door in a fury.

"Stop it!" she cried out as Fiver mewled in pathetic protest. "You're hurting him!"

Bane paid little mind to her, shoving her roughly to the side when he left. She landed on her sore, aching back, crying out in pain and helplessness. Taking away Fiver cut deeper than any pain he'd placed on her so far. That evening, he returned without the cat and continued with the cat o' nine tails punishment. He did this every evening for three nights straight. Each time, he reopened her angry wounds and created new ones. He was merciless. It was like there was something plaguing him that he thought he could only get rid of through punishing her.

Riley floated in a sea of helplessness. She couldn't figure out the cause of his sudden violent shift in disposition not until the fourth day. She was left licking her wounds for the day, knowing that he would return to remind her of her place. She wasn't even sassing him anymore. He simply returned to her and continued his onslaught as he raged at her.

There was something deeper there, something behind his anger.

She wasn't sure if it was the aching pain in her back and shoulders that caused the sudden clarity, but it struck her.

This was his reaction to the kindness she showed him. Hadn't her plan been to show him that she was more than a pet? The more she thought about it, the more painfully obvious it was. Something had clicked in him that caused this backlash, and now he had reverted to treating her like an animal. It made sense, and it brought back shreds of control now that she understood.

It also brought back that spark of determination. She needed a game plan because she couldn't let this continue, and she refused to take this lying down. The whole day she spent alone, she was trying to figure out her next move. Now that Riley figured out that the cause of this adverse reaction was Bane's backlash to how she treated him. She had hoped before all of this that he was finally beginning to see her as more than just a pet.

It was a gambit, but maybe it would serve her well to continue pursuing that. If she could encourage him to see her as a person then maybe this would all stop. At worse, he might just get pushed to the brink and kill her outright.

They were both extreme options, but it was better than living everyday with this kind of treatment.

When he returned that evening, she spoke before he was even two steps in.

"When I was a kid, I was really fascinated with rabbits," she said conversationally from her spot curled up on the armchair. Riley stared at him head on, trying to bury down her apprehension. She never looked forward to her whippings, and she wasn't sure how well this was going to work out. "I used to try and look for them in my mother's garden because I thought if I found a white one, he would bring me to Wonderland."

Her admission made him pause, and she could see that the gears were turning his head. He moved to approach her, and she spoke up again.

"I grew up going to a Catholic school. That's why I know all my prayers. My mom was devout, and she wanted us all to be good, God-fearing children," she added on even as he loomed closer. Riley cringed a little when his hand wrapped around her arm, hauling her from her seat. "I was faithful once, but I grew up. That doesn't mean I still don't like the prayers."

Bane was silent. His eyes were a flinty gray, and he didn't drag her outside this time. Instead, he tugged her along towards the bathroom. The new turn of events made her uneasy because they were going into unchartered territory. He never released his grip on her, not even when he turned the taps and began filling the tub with water.

Whatever he was planning for her, she still had time. Riley continued on to share pieces of information about herself to appeal to that tiny side of him that had once seen her as human. She had evidence that he did because there was that period where he'd been unsure how to handle her before reacting like this. She was so desperate that things she told him were utter truth, plucked from her life. Some of it was things she'd never even told Michael. He'd never known that she knew all the prayers by heart. All he knew was that she had a very strong distaste for religion because she never elaborated more than that.

"There's a beauty in the archaic tradition of it, don't you think?" she continued. He studiously ignored her, keeping his eyes on the water level. "And all the saints. There's a saint for everything. St. Jude is my favorite just because I think it's almost lovely that there's a patron saint for the lost causes. I think at some point everyone feels like a lost cause."

He jerked her forward until she was kneeling before the tub, and the next thing she knew her head was submerge under water. The water was cold, but that detail was lost as she struggled against him. He held her beneath, refusing to let her up until she was sure she was going to drown. Finally, he pulled her back up, and Riley was gasping desperately for air.

"And what can your St. Jude do for you now?" he said to her. His voice was void of emotion. Over the course of the few days, he'd lost his playfulness to his cruelty. Instead, he grew more and more manic about punishing her, and he operated with apathy. Bane was determined to drive the humanity out of her until it killed her because he refused to see her as anything more.

She was too busy to think of anything to share with him, and just as she got all the water out of her mouth and nose, Bane shoved her head underwater again.

"Waterboarding would be much more elegant for my tastes, but I must make do with what I have," he told her unfeelingly with only the driest edge to his tone. It didn't matter. Riley couldn't hear him at all beneath the water. She flailed and kicked against him. He pulled her out once more, and he couldn't tell if there were tears mingling with the bathwater. "Perhaps this way is more fitting of you, mutt."

"I tried to kill myself once," she cried out. Her ploys angered him though his curiosity was piqued. Bane never pegged his pet to be a quitter, and this admission surprised him. He grew furious with himself for being interested and shoved her underwater again. When she came back up, she only continued to speak. "It was a little bit after Michael died. I thought I was pregnant. I thought I was going to have his baby. It was the only thing helping me through my grief, the idea of having something we created together."

Back under water she went. Each time she came up, Riley only continued to share more information about herself. Her determination was almost admirable, and he loathed the way she caught his attention.

"The pregnancy test gave me a false positive. I wasn't pregnant, and I didn't have Michael. I was alone. I felt hopeless like a lost cause. There was no reason-," she was interrupted by another bout underwater. "No reason to live."

Bane stared at her, a silent urging to continue. She coughed up water and panted for breath.

"I thought about it for awhile. I went to the top of my apartment building and looked over the ledge. I'm still reminded of that day whenever I look off a balcony or somewhere high up," she breathed heavily, waiting for him to shove her back under water. "It would have been so easy to just jump off and end it. I wanted to."

"You didn't."

It was the first words he said to her that hadn't been cruel. Bane spoke to her in the same tone that he did when they first shared pieces of information with one another. There was hope, and she desperately clung to it.

"No," she shook her head. His fingers were laced through her wet her, gripping her painfully. "I wanted to, but I didn't. Because Michael wouldn't have wanted that. Because I was too much of a coward to take those last few steps. Because there's still this whole world out there. Because life goes on with or without him or without me. Because of a ton reasons, none that I could ever really understand. I just didn't. I couldn't. I'm a survivor, and I always be whether I like it or not."

Her words were reaching. Little tendrils were wrapping around his psyche. Riley suffered in her own way, carrying her scars. She'd been at her lowest, and somehow she had persevered. She was a survivor like he was, and he knew that he was in trouble if he was sympathizing with her. The way she looked at him with big, dark eyes, all meaningful and searching drove him mad. He didn't liked the way she looked at him, and he certainly didn't appreciate the things she was sparking within him. Bane needed to exorcise himself of this minx or he would lose his mind otherwise.

Enraged, he submerged her beneath the water once more, and this time, he didn't let go. Not until her body stopped struggling against him and went still. His hand released his hold on her, and she remained with her head face down floated in the water, limp and lifeless.

He had hoped that he would feel better punishing her and treating her like a beast. He thought that if he finished her off then he would be free of this confusion she stirred in him. For days, he'd been conflicted, and when Talia showed him the way to cure himself of this ailment, he'd taken to it enthusiastically.

Treat her like an animal, and she would no longer cause him these troubling emotions. Riley was no a human to him, nor was she allowed to be a decent one. She was a creature to be collared and tamed. At first, the whipping brought him that grounding feeling, and he relished in strictly defining their positions. The hierarchy was properly in place. He was the master, and she was his submissive.

As the days passed, the feeling began to fade, and he felt such odd feelings whenever he whipped her. Her cries of pain made him ache inside which only forced him to punish her hard to rid himself of that sensation.

Tonight, he'd reach his breaking point when she began telling him more about himself. Riley had successfully painted a picture of a little girl with flights of fancy to a jaded and lost woman who thought she had nothing. A woman who was willing to end it all but didn't.

Bane stared at her body, trying to find that feeling of relief and joy. He wanted things to get back to the way they were when she was just something that needed to be broken. The only thing that welled inside of him was the foreign feeling of remorse. It was so foreign that he didn't have a word for it. It was just a gut wrenching feeling that made bile rise in his throat. It was unpleasant, and he wanted desperately to make it go away.

Killing her hadn't rid him of it. There was only one other solution then.

Carefully, he pulled her body out of the bathtub and laid her on her back. Her eyes were closed, and her skin had a stark pallor that contrasted with her dark hair, darkened even more by all the water.

Time was a racing against him. Long, thick fingers went to her throat to check her pulse. There was a soft tattoo there beneath his touch, fluttery and hardly there, but it was something. Those same deft fingers went to undo his mask, the only connection to his pain relief. He removed it, exposing his face to the cool air. The pain kicked in moments after, and he grimaced against it.

If Riley was awake, would she have made a sardonic comment about paying a penance for his sin?

He had no belief in religion or sin, but in the beginning haze of excruciating pain, he found it to be a charming thought.

Bane began doing chest compressions. After thirty compressions, he tilted her head back and began breathing air into her. There was water in her chest that needed to be let out. He gave her two one-second breaths before returning to the chest compressions. The pain was beginning to become unbearable, but he weathered on.

He repeated CPR until he felt like he was going to pass out from his own pain. Just as he was about to give up and call it a defeat, Riley jerked at his touch and began coughing up water. It came out in droves as she sat up and spilled it out of her. Satisfied, Bane collapsed next to her, too weak to replace his mask for the relief he so desperately needed. He could only watch Riley in silence as she dazedly looked around, trying to piece together what happened.

Her attention finally turned towards him, and she looked at him with a confused look before it turned into one that she could only be described at pity. His breathing came out in hard pants, grimacing as the pain radiated throughout every single nerve ending.

Bane felt as if he was going to die from this pain alone as he began to walk the path towards unconscious. He felt wet fingers brush long the exposed parts of his face, gentle, almost tender. Riley continued to look at him, tracing her finger along his dry lips.

"I can't figure you out," she murmured tiredly to him, reaching out to grab his mask. Her voice was croaky from the water with a soreness that was sure to last for a few days. With shaky fingers, she began to put in its proper place. "Either you're torturing me or trying to kill me or treating me like I'm an animal. Christ, who _are _you?"

Bane looked up at her, stupefied. This was her chance to escape. She could leave him her like this, weak and helpless. Granted, she was in no better state, but this was the best chance she was ever going to get. Instead, she was putting his mask back on, making sure he received the analgesic gases he thrived on.

"I am Bane," he told her simply as the gases began to enter his system. It would take several moments before the gases began to do their work, leaving him muddled and helpless for a little bit longer. "I break people."

Riley, exhausted and still suffering the consequences of drowning, laid down next to him and curled up in a ball. It was clear that she was just as fatigued as he was, and he could see the same conflict he'd been feeling written all over her features. Her face was turned towards him, and they stared at each other silently. Gray seared into brown as they tried to come to some sort of understanding with one another. There was something there, something neither of them could quite put their finger on. In the silence, it spoke loudly, but it was as if it was in a language neither of them could understand. All they knew was that something monumental happened here. Whether it was good or bad was left to be decided.

"Hello, Bane," she answered finally, coughing around her words. "I'm Riley. I'm a survivor."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I just got my wisdom teeth removed the other day, so I was mostly in a Vicodin haze as I wrote. It was difficult to write, not simply because of my current state, but because this was something between Riley and Bane that needed to be addressed. I had to somehow scramble up the pieces to make them equals which was hard to come to. I hope I achieved it, and I have hopes that the next chapters will come easier now that I've gotten over this bump. I think now I can focus on the sexual tension that I have been peppering throughout these chapters. I think everyone loves some unresolved sexual tension, yeah? Again, doubly sorry for errors since I'm sure my current state of mind doesn't help with catching all my mistakes. I'm definitely still looking for a beta reader!

The songs I used to write this chapter is from _The Devil's Carnival _soundtrack, particularly:  
Grace for Sale - Terrance Zdunich  
Trust Me - Marc Senter  
In All My Dreams I Drown - Terrance Zdunich & Jessica Lowndes

The last two songs have official videos from the movie on Youtube. I highly recommend watching them to get a good tone for this chapter and chapters to come. The theme of Trust Me will assuredly come up again soon.

As always, thank you to all my readers for reading and supporting especially to those who took the time to follow, favorite and review. We broke 200 reviews! I'm absolutely thrilled that I hardly know what to do with myself. You guys are seriously amazing. :) Your reviews seriously make my day, and I look forward to reading your feedback as I heal up from my surgery. Until next time!


	12. The Sanguine Mirage

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creaters associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Chapter Twelve: The Sanguine Mirage**

* * *

Bane recovered first.

As the pain relieving gases flooded his system, his agony began to ebb. He and Riley had laid on their sides, staring at one another in comfortable silence after their strange re-introduction to one another. His disorientation faded, and he was becoming aware of the way her body shivered. She looked weak and fragile, and he supposed he couldn't blame her.

He did just murder her in a fit of madness just moments ago.

Once he was composed and returned to his normal state, he sat up and with ease, he lifted her up. Her clothes were drenched from the drowning, and she was cool to touch. Like her exposure, he would need to raise her body temperature to its normal state. There were soft tremors in her body, but she was compliant to his touch, too weak to struggle against him.

He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling they came to some strange understanding. He didn't know what that understanding was, but he resolved to deal with it once he had his pet returned to her normal state of health once more.

Just as he did before, he began to peel away her clothes. This was the third time he'd done so, but it was only the second where she was fully conscious of it. Her modesty returned to her, and she shuffled in his grasp, fighting against the sure, steady fingers that moved to undress her.

Her blouse came off first. He unbuttoned it with practiced dexterity and pushed it the wet, clingy fabric off of her until it felt to the floor. Next were her jeans. They were only damp to her knees, but he needed to remove them completely to keep a uniform temperature throughout her body. The denim was harder to peel off since they were wet, and he had to manage with one hand while he used his other arm to keep her upright. When that proved to be futile, he gently swung her around to perch her on the counter like he did when he tended to her ankle.

She leaned back against the mirror, looking incredibly fatigued and somewhat out of it. Riley didn't protest as much now, too tired to fight him off.

His fingers hooked through the belt loops and began to tug her jeans down until they exposed the cold, creamy flesh of her legs. His hands, warm and large, skimmed along her skin, and she shivered in response. The article of clothing got tossed aside to join her blouse.

Bane turned his attention to her bra, plain and white. He reached behind her to unhook it, and he was surprised when she reacted sharply. Riley let out a soft cry of pain and winced, and she was too aggrieved by it to protest the removal of her bra.

That too fell away, exposing her breasts to him. It was nothing he hadn't seen from her before, but he was seeing her differently now.

There was something different about his Rabbit tonight.

It was like she'd been reborn when he breathed life back into her, and he realized that for the first time, he had created life instead of destroying it.

The gravity of that didn't surpass him.

There was an almost painful physical stirring in him. The reaction surprised him because until now, Riley hadn't elicited that sort of reaction out of him at all.

He hadn't been lying when he told her before that she was below him and nothing about her brought him to lusty advances.

Rabbit arose anew into something else entirely, and he was trying to understand this new intriguing creature perched before him.

He banished those thoughts from his mind to see to her back. His hand gripped her shoulder to turn her. Along her shoulder blades and back were furious red criss-crossing marks that decorated her like a second skin. They were his mark, and he knew that she would wear this permanently even after they closed up and healed. There were some still fresh from yesterday while others were scabbed and old from their first evening.

Clinically, he began to clean the wounds and applied ointment to it. This was much bigger and harsher than the damage caused by the riding crop, and he had to tape down gauze and a bandage over it to keep it covered.

"Turn back around," he ordered her quietly. Riley sleepily did as she was told, but she quickly snapped to full alertness when she felt the burning warmth of his fingers hook into the waistband of her panties to drag those along as well. Her reaction was immediate. Her hands moved to cover and grip his to prevent him from removing it.

She said nothing, choosing to only give him a flat, determined stare. The first dredges of attentiveness since her introduction earlier returned.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before from you, Rabbit," he chided her, tugging against her. His words were cool and confident, but deep down, he knew that there was that awakening in him that he couldn't ignore. She forcefully refused and fought against him.

"No," she said. Riley's voice was throaty, and she stared at him with a heavy lidded look of disapproval.

He sighed, raspy and mechanical, at her as if she were a child. He tried to remember that she was but a pet, and he should treat her accordingly. That meant he shouldn't feel this reaction towards her nude form.

"I need to stabilize your core temperature. In doing so, I must free you from your wet clothing and dress you warmly," he explained to her, hoping to strike her reason. "Otherwise you'll suffer the consequences of near drowning."

"Worse than death?" she croaked at him, and there was a glimmer of that familiar sauciness in her. It made him smirk beneath his mask because she wasn't completely obedient not even after he snuffed out her light, however brief it had been.

"Perhaps," he told her evenly before pulling her panties down forcefully. Bane caught her by surprise, and he took advantage. He had her naked before him, and his fingers unconsciously danced along her knee for a taste of the soft skin. She jerked against him, and there was a doe-eyed look on her face that was strangely unfamiliar. Grabbing a towel, he gave it to her to protect her modesty and to protect himself.

Cold and achy, Riley gladly plucked the towel from her fingertips to wrap it around herself. It was hardly much of a cover, but it was better than nothing. Her mind was still reeling after all that had happened. There was a painful headiness throbbing through her skull, and she felt hopelessly weak. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to replace Bane's mask instead of taking the chance that had been placed before her.

She rationalized it away. How far could she really have gotten in this state? She was several stories up, and there was a whole army under his thumb throughout the building. It would have just been a matter of time before they apprehended her and brought her back to her master.

'_But you didn't even try_,' a traitorous voice scolded her.

Riley brushed it away. She didn't want to think about that. All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep for the next few days. She must have been deep in thought because suddenly Bane had her gathered in his arms. Whenever he picked her up, she felt weightless. She was faintly aware that he was bringing her to his room instead of hers, and that brought about a quiver inside of her, hot and strange.

The way he had undressed her had brought about that bizarre magnetism she felt the night he bathed her, but it had been magnified tenfold. So many things had changed between them since then.

She'd seen a softer side of him, both genuine and false. She knew that he was capable of that softness because she'd seen him extend it towards Talia. Riley knew better to think that any kindness he'd shown her compared to that of the other woman's, but the gentler treatment he'd bestowed upon her while he was trying to Stockholm Syndrome her had left a mark no matter how hard she tried to raze it out of her.

Most of all, she knew what he looked like now.

Even in her hazy, post-drowning fog, she knew that she wouldn't be able to forget his face. She'd been surprise to see his face, and it took her several dazed moments for her to realize what she was looking at.

He older than her, but not as old as she originally thought. Years of hard living no doubt aged him, but she could see the traces of soft youth somewhere in his features. Bane's face was scarred though not to the point of disfiguration. There were some along his mouth, jagged and mean looking, but that didn't take away from the full cupid's bow of his lips.

She remembered how they felt beneath her fingertips, dry and rough.

It made her wonder when was the last time he'd been kissed. The mask was part of him and as natural as any limb. Riley wondered if Talia had ever removed it to press red stained lips against his. The thought inexplicably unsettled her.

Behind his mask, she saw more of him. She saw the man inside of the monster, and it was hard to unsee it even with the mask back in place.

Bane placed her on her feet, keeping her steady, in his room. The moment he released his hold on her, she immediately collapsed back against the bed in a heap, her hair a wet halo around her face. Riley let out a whimper on impact as she landed on her injured back.

She stared up at the ceiling before looking to him questioningly. What she found made her shiver, and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold.

He stared down at her, eyes darkened and hungry, unmoving.

Goosebumps raised along her flesh, surely from the cold. She told herself that it had nothing to do with the way he looked at her because it was fucked up and wrong on so many levels. This was the very thing she'd been fighting against.

"You drowned me," she said suddenly, breaking the electricity in the air. Riley needed to say it, to hear it out loud, in order to remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling like this.

Bane was her captor. She refused to feel anything but contempt towards him. He was her Devil, and she refused to be any sort of fervent worshiper simply for the sinful temptation that was just within reach.

It seemed to break the thrall between them, and he moved to his closet to retrieve a shirt, one of his own. It was black and long sleeved. He returned to her moments later, giving her an expectant look.

"You basically killed me," she added on, trying to find that fire within her. The only fire she found was one that burned too hot. For the sake of warmth, she scooted forward towards the edge. Bane silently gestured for her to lift her arms, and she did so.

He pulled the shirt over her until it swallowed her in a mass of black fabric. It was dry and deliciously warm. His hands followed through, tugging it down around her until they slid along the curve of her waist down to her hips.

"You resuscitated me," Riley finished, her voice barely louder than a whisper. When Bane looked at her, she realized that his face was closer to hers, and she got a good look into his eyes. She could hear the mechanical breathing through his mask.

"I'm not finished with you yet."

There was a promise in his tone, one that made her shudder and shake all the same. She noted that his hands hadn't removed from their place on his hips, and she noted how each fingertip seemed to burn and grip into her.

"Right, you still need to break me," she shot back tartly. "You break things."

"And you survive," he countered easily. "It seems that we are at a stalemate, Rabbit."

"So where does that leave us?"

Bane leaned in closer, invading her personal space. His masked bumped against her nose until she pulled back for her own comfort.

"Where indeed," he mused. He removed his hold from her, but she felt like he left a brand on her hips as if she could see physical marks where he touched her if she lifted up his shirt.

"Get into bed, Rabbit. You need to warm up," he ordered her as he pulled away.

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she thought twice. "Does this mean I'm in for round two of waking up to a naked Bane?"

The apples of her cheeks flooded with heat the moment she heard those words, and it helped send warmth though her body. Riley felt mortified because she hadn't intended for it to sound like that. She wanted it to come out scathing and sarcastic, and instead, it sounded almost wanton to her ears.

A rumbling chuckle filled the room as Bane reached out to brush her hair back from behind her ear. She jolted at his touch, giving him a nasty glower.

"Do you wish it so?" he asked her in amusement.

"Just give me more blankets, and I'll be fine," she snapped at him waspishly. Bane acquiesced to her request. Before he would have done just as she suggested, but he found that he no longer trusted himself. The clinical disinterest he had before had sudden vanished, replaced by something raw and compelling. He brought the blankets from her bed and tucked it around her before making himself comfortable on top of it.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she burrowed herself into the warmth of the bed. Her shivering had abated, and there was more color to her features.

He gave her a frank look. "Someone has to monitor your vitals."

It was a throwback to when she'd been sick with the flu, and she did her best to ignore him. Riley gave him a noncommittal hum. Once she got comfortable, she gave in to the exhaustion. Her body desperately needed rest to recuperate, and she let herself float off into the sweet unconsciousness of sleep.

* * *

She slept for nearly two days straight.

Bane was alarmed when she didn't wake up after a reasonable amount of time, and when she refused to be bothered, he eventually dragged a doctor from the struggling hospital to check her out.

Evenly, he explained to Dr. Darnay all that she had been through. Though he didn't explicitly state that he was the cause, it was fairly obvious that Bane was behind her suffering. People had seen Riley out with him, and they saw the collar on her throat. They knew of Bane's pet, but they weren't sure how well-taken care of she was until now.

Darnay saw the abuse, and he bristled. There wasn't much he could do to save the girl from this plight. Bane reigned supreme now in Gotham, and the least he could do was make sure she survived.

Then again, he wondered if death would just be a welcome respite for her by now.

He informed Bane that she needed rest to recover. Her body had through an extreme amount of stress. He did a full assessment on her body, and save for some bruising at her chest from the compressions and other prior injuries, she seemed to be in good health. Darnay recommended that if she woke up ill at ease, it would be in her best interest to be brought in for treatment.

With his mind at ease, Bane sent the doctor away and kept an eye on his pet. With her in sleepy commission, he was left alone with his thoughts. There were new sensations eddying through him, things that he couldn't quite comprehend. It frustrated him because he was a man of learning and knowledge. The fact that this confounded him grated his nerves.

He thought about the way she looked down at him without his mask. There hadn't been a look of repulsion on her expression. Riley had looked fascinated. The way she touched him was seared into his memory. Her fingers had been soft and oddly tender. Reaching up, he rubbed at the mask as he tried fruitlessly to replicate it.

She chose not to run. She chose not to turn away. Again, she chose to help him.

He couldn't blame her decisions on foolishness. He knew Riley to be sharp and intelligent. Their discussions over novels had always been riveting conversation.

Why then? Why had she chosen to help her captor?

He was mulling over these thoughts, watching her slumbering form from the doorway when Talia wrapped around him. Her arms were gentle as they encompassed his form.

"You didn't meet me earlier this evening," she scolded him softly, resting her face against the back of his vest. Her soft cheek met the roughness of his vest.

"My apologies, Talia," he returned gently though she could sense the distraction in his tone. She looked up at him, unable to see past his hulking form into his room.

"What has gotten into you?" she demanded though her tone was sweetly wrapped in affectionate and exasperation.

"I killed her."

Her dark eyes danced in delight. She had expected Bane to break the girl down, but killing her just as well. The problem was eliminated, and now he could return his full attention to her and the work that still needed to be done.

"Did she beg for her life?" Talia crooned curiously. Her lips curved into a pleased smile. Bane looked over his shoulder at her. His eyes were stony yet unsure.

"No," he answered her. "I drowned her then I revived her."

"What?"

Talia's voice was loud, piercing the air with shock and anger. She released her hold on him to stare at him incredulously.

"You did what?" she said again once she composed herself. Bane turned around to face her fully, crossing thick-muscled arms over his chest.

"I revived her," he spoke simply, and for once, it was difficult for her to read him.

"Why on earth would you do that, my dearest?" she questioned, doing her best to keep herself calm and level-headed. Peering past him, she could see the petite form sleeping his bed. The very sight of her there made her livid, but she hid it beneath a honeyed veneer. The problem of Riley still persisted, and she needed to take a step back and reassess this situation.

"That, I have yet to figure out."

Her nostrils flared slightly. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. It seemed that his pet had a deeper hold on Bane that she realized. This needed to be remedied, and if he wasn't going to do it then she needed to take care of the problem.

"Do not let her interfere with our work," she reminded him a little forcefully. "You made a promise to me, darling. You must not forget."

Bane stared at her silently before nodding. "Of course. Your father's work comes first and foremost, always."

She looked satisfied with that answer, but her eyes were angry and troubled. He turned away from to her to continue his silent observation of the sleeping pet. Taking several deep breaths, Talia slinked closer to affectionately wrap herself around him to remind him who reigned supreme in his soul.

"You are my dearest. Without you, I could never have made it to where I am today. I am forever thankful for all that you have given me."

She spoke sweetly, almost adoringly, and she was rewarded with Bane reaching up to place his hand over hers. She felt his body relax against her, and she smiled silently to herself. Riley might have some kind of hold over him, but it could never encroach upon hers.

* * *

_A warm hand wrapped around her calf, gently splaying her legs open. She felt the roughness of stubble and full lips drag upwards, leaving a heated trail along the inside of her thigh. She felt a warmth breath against her, and she shivered and sighed. He bypassed where she needed him the most, choosing instead to pepper kisses along her belly. He continued his path upwards, and she felt the sleek wetness of his tongue languidly trace patterns between the valley of her breasts. She writhed against him, the sheets tangling between her legs. His body was a welcome weight against hers, pinning her to bed._

_She felt his hand palm her breasts, making them peak with a simple flick of his thumbs. Gasping loudly, she closed her eyes in agonizing ecstasy as his hot, hungry mouth wrapped around each one, lavishing her with sensual attention. She jerked and bucked against him, wanting more, needing more. She could feel his arousal press against her, and he was just as desperate as she was._

"_Please," she breathed in urgent pleading. "_Please."

_He chuckled, a low timbre rumble that rocked against her. Her hands reached up to his face, bringing him upwards for a kiss. Her eyes opened as he spoke._

"_Always so impatient, Rabbit," he chastised her mischievously. She stared Bane in the face, scarred and unmasked. He closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a heated kiss, and she eagerly returned it. He tasted bittersweet like rich, dark chocolate with spice, and she couldn't get enough._

Riley jerked awake.

Her heart was beating wildly, and she was gasping for breath. There was an aching need between her legs as she tried to brush away the remnants of her dream that clung to her. It had felt so vivid and real that she half expected him to be in bed with her.

Repulsion began to filter through her though it didn't do much to overwhelm the desire that was still coursing through her veins. She felt conflicted and confused, torn between reason and base desire. It didn't help that she was wrapped up in his shirt, her scent mingling with his. It permeated her senses, making it hard to shake off her dream.

Burying her face in her hands, she let out a groan because she could still remember the way he felt against her. It was hard to ignore the way she wanted so badly to wrap her legs around him and give herself up to the current of pleasure that she knew would come along with it.

"Fuck," she muttered unhappily. She scrubbed her face with her hands as if to cleanse her mind of those thoughts. "Fuck!"

A beat later, she realized how appropriate those expletives were, and she didn't find it funny at all.

Things were becoming to get too tangled. She wasn't even sure if there were game pieces on the board anymore or if this was even a game. It was all beyond recognition, and she was afraid that she was losing herself in this game of push and pull.

Riley reached down deep inside of her to that piece of her that she locked away, the part she kept only for herself. She tried to remember who she was before Bane took her, before Michael, before Retribution, before she was even Riley.

She clung to that piece of her and held on to tightly.

No one in their right mind would feel this sick attraction to a man that had abused her, tortured her, and nearly killed her. Bane was toying with her in the most grotesque way, and she needed to remember that.

There was a mewling noise as a familiar black and white form padded into the room, jumping up to join her in the bed. Fiver immediately nestled into her lap, demanding attention. The sight of her dearest companion broke her down.

One tear leaked out, followed by another. It all sank in what she had gone through in the past few weeks. She thought about every beating, every whipping, every single way Bane tried to get into her head and under her skin. Riley thought about how she nearly died, and she focused on how her body still ached even now. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep, but she still hurt painfully. Gotham was a hell now, and she was living with Lucifer himself.

Soon, she was outright weeping, holding Fiver against her chest. She wept for Michael. She wept for Charlotte and Missy. She wept for the family she hadn't seen in years. She wept for the innocent lives that had fallen prey to the darkest part of human nature. Most of all, she wept for herself and her soul.

She wept because no matter how hard she tried to rally against Bane and everything he had done and stood for, the aching want in the pit of her belly for him remained, tempestuous and undeniable.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Have another Vicodin induced chapter. Honestly, I don't have much to say about this aside from the fact that Vicodin makes me feel really awesome and this was a lot easier to write than the last one. I wrote the whole thing to 'In All My Dreams I Drown' from The Devil's Carnival. In fact, if I wasn't following a set template for the titles, that would be the title for this chapter. There's your sexual tension with more to come. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Thank you again to all the continued support. We're sixty reviews from 300, and that just blows my mind. It's like every chapter just booms with such kind words and support from all of you, and it floors me. Thank you so much to my readers, both new and old. You're the reason I keep writing. :) Until next time!


	13. Interlude: Speak of the Devil

**Recalled to Life **by Reya Wild

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Batman or any creators associated with the franchise. They all belong to their respective owners. I only own the original character created soley for this story.

**Summary, RATED M: **As Gotham falls into a state of dystopia, citizens try to survive and get by without inciting the wrath of the rogues and mobs. While Commisioner Gordon leads a resistance, a woman uses all her abilities to make some kind of difference in the lives of those the rest of the nation forgot, that is until she catches the attention of Bane himself.

**Interlude: Speak of the Devil**

His deliberation spanned over several hours.

As she healed and regained her strength, he spent the evening in the condo considering the enigma that was Riley Watson. She confounded him and frustrated him to the point of psychotic madness. Torturing her hadn't sated his intense passions towards her.

Snuffing her tiny rabbit life had only intensified it.

Seeing her cold and pale on the bathroom tiles hadn't brought him the satisfaction he'd sought. Bane had hoped that with her death would come peace, but like a vengeful sprite, it was like her lifelessness mocked him.

Even in death, her sway over him held fast. It had grown only more compelling in fact.

So he breathed life back into her. He took her broken parts and returned her to life. Bane watched in sharp pain, fuzzy consciousness as she coughed up water and death until she looked up at him, renewed.

He replayed those moments over and over again in his mind with cutting clarity.

For so long, all he had wanted from her was her submission, to own her. It was the long con, the ultimate game with his little rabbit. He wanted to break down her defiance until he owned her to the core.

Imagine his surprise when he realized that it wasn't pain or death that brought him to her center. He'd touched her very being with _life. _When he gave her back the strength and ability to live, he'd left his mark.

He made her his.

It wasn't like their first meeting when he saved her from the scum of the alley. Bane had personally breathed his life into her. He'd recreated her, made sure she was born anew.

It made him feel like a god, a true god among men.

Like anything touched by a god, his rabbit, his Galatea breathed life and shared her power and touch with her creator. Instead of damning him, she brought him an easement to his pain.

No longer was she an animal beneath him. No, certainly not. She was an equal. She was his. The mere thought was arousing and heady, making his head swim with possibilities.

The game was no longer about breaking her down. It was now about building her up, creating her in his very image. He'd thrown her into the fire, and she'd returned to him something else entirely.

In her determination, he saw himself. He saw the will to forge on despite the odds. Perhaps he'd railed so strongly against her stubbornness and insubordination because it spoke so strongly in him. They were not two sides of a coin like two opposites, but like the sun and moon, so alike in their own magnificent way.

Again, he thought of the way she helped him just like she helped him before. Whether she cared to admit it or not, she belonged to him as well.

Never in his life had anything properly belonged to him. Talia had been charged to him, an angel he could not touch. They were of different planes. She was above him while he worshipped her from below. He was the king of this earthly plane, and she walked ahead of him in brilliance and light.

It was different now. Now he had an equal. He'd created, albeit unintentionally. He'd given life, and now it was his to nurture, to cultivate and grow.

They belonged to one another now, a bond forged in the waters of death and the fires of life. She was his. He would make sure she understood that now.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm back. Yes, it's very short hence why I've termed this an interlude instead of an actual chapter. It's all rough and un-beta'd, but I wanted to get this out soon. I'm terribly sorry for going offline from this story for so long. I've been focused on school and trying to graduate from college as soon as possible (December '13!), so I've been a little addled creatively. I've also been at a loss where to bring the two characters because I've had them at odds for so long that I needed to step back and understand where the next step would be for them in this strange relationship. Rereading the last few chapters, some things stuck out at me that I didn't notice before. I'm getting a better idea now (I'm sure you can tell the direction with Bane's interlude here), and I'm hoping I can outline the rest of the story with this new direction to make my initial overview plan work. I can't promise you when I'll get the next chapter out, but I just wanted to let all of you wonderful readers that this is NOT abandoned. Thank you for all the kind reviews and PMs. I am alive and fine and doing well, if just stressed. I'm actually supposed to be working on a project right now, but I couldn't resist this. I'm sorry it's short, but it is getting me back into the creative writing process. Please review since feedback is always appreciated. Until next time!


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